Kiss Me, Kill Me
by AzureSky13
Summary: Can Zuko learn how to get along with his new traveling partner? Will they end up killing each other-or will someone do that for them?
1. Chapter 1

Standard disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of its characters.

Chapter 1

"Not again." Aang murmured under his breath as Katara and Toph were going at it again. What was it with them these days? He often wondered. Sokka had suggested that it was PMS.

They were always fighting now. It could be over anything or nothing. And it was getting on the young Avatar's nerves. However, Aang knew better then to try and interfere with one of their shouting matches, that often turned ugly and bending was brought out.

Glancing over at the two girls, Aang noticed that they were using the usual tactics that drove one another crazy. Toph had her trademark smirk, while Katara was trying to be the motherly, "just trying to get everyone to work together well" figure.

Sokka sat nearby, especially wary of the two girls.

It had been Sokka who had proved not to interfere with these quarrels.

Both boys knew better to keep their distance when Sokka had had a huge boulder and a water whip behind his back as the two girls had turned on him when he had tried to interfere.

Aang busied himself with collecting firewood, stealing glances at the two girls every so often.

The way that this heated quarrel was going, it could be getting physical at any moment!

Listening with a dull interest, he tried to figure out why they were fighting this time.

"If you could just be more— Katara was quickly cut off by Toph. Aang recognized the old "if you would pitch in more speech starting up", but it never finished.

"Relying on others makes you weak. How many times do I have to tell you that?" Toph snapped.

Katara gave a sigh of fury, which was really more like a growl if anything. "The sunset is pretty tonight! Too bad you can't see it Toph!" Katara said loudly. Aang and Sokka glanced at each other briefly, grimacing.

Toph picked up a small pebble like rock, and threw it at Katara, hitting her right in the middle of the forehead.

"Did you just throw a pebble at me?" Katara asked in a shrill voice, and few octaves higher then normal.

"And you say I'm blind!" Toph scoffed.

Katara drew out her water; Toph readied some boulders that had been conveniently located nearby.

Sokka and Aang quickly distanced themselves from the battlegrounds that had once been their campsite.

"Well at least I don't think I'm all high and mighty just because I'm blind and can see through the earth!" Katara said, striking out with her water whip.

"Well at least I'm not the little girl who always gets herself into trouble!" Toph shot back.

"Well at least I can see in the air!" Katara snapped.

Toph grit her teeth, about to send a retort back when she had an idea. The ground suddenly shifted beneath Katara.

"Too slow Sugar Queen." Toph smirked, sending Katara flying high into the air.

Aang reacted quickly, knowing that it would be too far of a fall to actually survive. He quickly blew a air current up to her, the air cradling the waterbender as she fell.

Toph suddenly couldn't see where Katara was. Because she was still in the air, Toph couldn't see her. Katara took this opportunity to send out a water whip.

Toph was blind to see it, so instead of being able to block it, she was sent flying backwards.

Landing roughly, Toph did not get up for a second.

Once Katara was down on the ground, she realized what she had just done.

"Toph, I'm sorry—Toph held her hand up to stop Katara. Toph whipped the dirt from her cheek onto her sleeve. Aang and Sokka exchanged glances. "Leave it." She said, brushing off any apologies.

Suddenly Toph dove into the earth, but didn't reemerge.

……………………………………

"This will be a perfect chance to pick off the little blind girl." Azula remarked, licking her lips.

Mai gave her a bored look, returning to sharpening her daggers. Ty Lee was doing her acrobatics nearby. "Hmm… luckily those two girls were fighting again hey Azula? I doubt we would have found the Avatar unless those two girls hadn't been having another shouting match." Ty Lee replied thoughtfully, twisting herself in odd positions.

"Not only that Ty Lee. We can wipe the Avatar's earthbending teacher out in one swipe. You heard what that waterbender said?" Ty Lee flipped around to face Azula and Mai. "I think so." She said, thinking.

"Somehow the Avatar's earthbending teacher can see, but the waterbender peasant said that she couldn't see in the air…" A wicked look spread across the fire nation princess's perfectly full lips.

…………………………..

Hey there! I redid chapter one here, I decided that I didn't like it before…. So enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of its characters.

Sorry it took me so long to update! I recently transferred schools, and learning an entirely different language is quite time consuming!

Hopefully I will have time to update soon!

Thanks for the reviews!

Chapter 2

How long had it been now?

Too long.

I paced around the campfire, back and forth, back and forth.

Aang and Sokka sat on the other side of the fire, watching me pace with both dull and worried expressions on their faces. I must have really ticked her off this time.

Well, she had ticked me off too.

If she would just help out a little more around camp, instead of just doing nothing and watching us do all the work…

Sure, we always got into quarrels. It was our nature!

But why hadn't she returned yet? "Toph should be back any minute now!" Aang was always the optimist, but even I could see the worry that was so visible on his usually cheery features. "Yeah, right. And Toph will finally start being nice." Sokka replied sarcastically.

I shot Sokka a look, hoping to stare him down, but even he was worried.

The moon was dead set in the middle of the inky blue sky. The stars shone brightly, trying to out shine each other. I inhaled deeply, glancing into the shadowy trees. If Toph had been here, she could have sensed what was about to occur, but unfortunately, we did not have such a luxury.

It was they who struck first.

A dagger flew out of no where towards by heart. Luckily Aang had been paying attention. He jumped up quickly and quickly blew the dagger off course. I shot him a grateful look before sliding casually into my stance.

It sounded like one single person was applauding. I tried to use my ears to see what direction they were coming from. I was… close. My stomach churned as Azula and those two girls, Ty Lee and Mai followed the fire nation princess like obedient dogs on a leash. Azula's cold amber eyes rested greedily on Aang. "Hmm, what? No little annoying earthbending teacher?" She sneered.

It was unexpected when Aang burst out: "What have you done with Toph?" Oh no. Aang had given her exactly what she had wanted to hear. "Toph is it?" She said softly. "I am appalled that you would accuse me of such a crime." She said venomously.

I shifted nervously. I hated not being able to bend. Ty Lee knew the human body way too well.

Mai looked bored as usual, the dagger that had an all too perfect aim that had nearly pierced her heart had probably been hers.

The battle started when Mai threw another set of daggers, this time at Sokka. My brother was quick to knock away the daggers. Ty Lee cart-wheeled over to me as Mai attacked Sokka and Azula went for Aang. Ty Lee was fast as she jabbed here and there, but I was quick to block her.

Azula was already hurling lightning at Aang, who was nimbly dodging it. I wish I had been paying attention to what Ty Lee was doing!

I knew that Aang and Sokka could defend themselves!

Apparently I couldn't. Ty Lee managed to get past my frozen defenses. She jabbed me in the ribs, shoulders and stomach. I lost all feeling in my upper body.

All I remembered after that, was feeling a sharp pain in my ribs, and I blacked out.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

(Told from Toph's point of view.)

I could see nor feel nothing.

Only the darkness swirled around my eyes.

I had been ambushed. Last night, I had just been taking a walk to try and cool down after the fight that I had had with a certain waterbender.

I had been storming through the forest, unable to sense the vibrations in the ground because I had been so angry.

Next thing I knew, I was pinned up against a tree, unable to move my legs or my arms. How foolish I had been!

I couldn't avoid the rock that was thrown at my head, and it knocked me out. I had been rendered unconscious by my own element! Earth!

And now, for once I was truly blind.

Azula and her two cronies had captured me. And now, I hung very much awake over a river. Azula had been gone when I awoke, but the river was still very much there. I only knew it was Azula and her two cronies because I heard Ty Lee speaking to Mai before I blacked out.

My arms were completely immobilized. I had been dangling from this wretched rope that kept me aloft; it had cut into my wrists, and halted my circulation.

My toes just brushed the chilling water. That Fire nation witch knew that I would probably be too proud to call for help. I refused to portray myself as the helpless little blind girl that needed help.

I would somehow find a way to get out of this one, and get my revenge on that witch.

Meanwhile….

(Third person point of view)

Katara felt like she was going to be sick. She practically pried open her eyelids, only to find that she could see nothing anyway. _So this is what being blind feels like._ Katara thought.

"Katara? Are you awake?" Aang called softly. Katara turned in the direction she thought that she had heard his voice.

"Yes." She replied almost forcefully. Her stomach churned and tied itself into knots. She groaned. How awful and nauseous she felt!

Aang propped himself up against the side of the (what he guessed to be) cage. Aang forced himself to crawl over to the waterbender. He sluggishly removed her blindfold. "Thanks." She croaked, realizing how thirsty she was. Sokka was still out cold nearby, snoring loudly. Katara couldn't help but smile briefly, before focusing on getting the ropes off of her wrists. Aang prodded Sokka awake. He had been so worried about Katara. Hoping that they would all be okay. After she had blacked out, Sokka had soon followed, and then he had been rendered unconscious by a poison dart that Mai aimed perfectly to the back of his neck before he could go into the Avatar State.

Sokka refused to wake up. He grumbled something about five more minutes Gran-gran.

"We should have left him asleep." Katara mumbled a while later. "He was less annoying when he was asleep." Sokka had eventually come around, but then the flow of complaints had started about being hungry, the floor too cold, the bars too hard…

"Sokka, shut up!" Katara finally shouted. Sokka and Katara started fighting. Aang then remembered that Toph was still missing. He had really started to worry. Not only had he put both Katara and Sokka's lives on the line because they knew him, but now he had lost his earthbending teacher as well as a friend.

Sokka went to reach for his boomerang, and to his horror, realized it wasn't there! Katara's water canteen was gone, as well as Aang's staff.

Heh, sorry. I know it's a lame way to end the chapter. But I'm in the middle of school. Shh. Don't tell my teachers!


	4. Chapter 4

I'm really sorry that my story has been so lame! I would appreciate any constructive criticism. I'm new to writing fanfics, so sorry if I'm not that good. Anyway, here is the next chapter.

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own the Avatar or any of its characters.

Chapter Four: Saving To—is that a bird?

Katara pressed her back against the heavy metal door of their prison. It was better then lying on the incredibly hard floor. Aang and Sokka were in a similar state as she. Both boys looked like they had seen better times. She was certain that she looked about as tired and ragged as they.

Spending four long days in a metal prison did not improve their spirits. There were no windows; the air was stale and dead.

Whatever they were on, every so often there would be a huge bump, and it would send them flying in every which way possible in the small confinement.

With each other's help, they managed to get the ropes off their wrists.

Katara still had the painful rope burns on both her ankles and wrists.

It was almost impossible to tell how long they had been locked in this damned cage.

They could only estimate.

Katara silently cursed herself for not being more careful.

It was she who had fallen first.

It was foolish to think that Sokka or Aang would need help in battle, when they were quite capable of handling things themselves.

She kept scolding herself over and over again.

If Toph had been there, she could have sensed the vibrations… There was that feeling of guilt again. She couldn't shake it off. It was either that or how thirsty she was. Four days without water. Torture. That's what it was.

A waterbender with no water, how ironic.

There was too little air for Aang to airbend at all, and Sokka didn't have his boomerang with him at all. They had all been stripped of their weapons. Aang had been quiet for the most part, staring off into oblivion. Katara knew that there was no way that she could devise a plan to get out of this one. Even Sokka, (the idea guy, as declared in the Drill) seemed to have no plan right now. All they could do was wait.

MEANWHILE back in Ba Sing Se (before Azula attacked the boomerang Squad)

"You've restored your own honour Zuko. You don't need father to do that." Azula practically purred in her sweet as honey voice, laying it on thick.

Zuko's eyes widened in realization as brother and sister stood there in the throne room.

He had betrayed his Uncle… And did it feel right? He wasn't sure.

Something in the pit of his stomach made him feel sick every time he thought about betraying his Uncle. Uncle Iroh. The only relative he had that loved him. But now he doubted that Iroh would see him as his nephew any more.

He was making the right choice… wasn't he?

Azula ordered the Dai Li to search the area for the Avatar; maybe he had not left the city yet, and was taking refuge somewhere.

Zuko allowed the Dai Li to lead him to the room he was staying in.

The bed was a goose down, as well as the ridiculous amount of pillows. This was how life should be for a prince. He was tired living like a peasant. He would no longer be ashamed, for he had regained his honour. The only thing that… mattered?

After finally managing to get Ty Lee out of the ice block that the waterbender had froze her in, the three girls had ordered the Dai Li to collect the Avatar and his companions.

Minus the troublesome earthbender of course.

The Avatar was being shipped back into Ba Sing Se at the very moment. Azula had thought ahead as cunning as she was.

She had had a special cage designed for the Avatar and his companions. Out of pure metal.

By now that little earthbender would have probably fallen into the river by now.

She was too proud to call for help, and Azula somehow knew that she couldn't swim. Azula would only remain in the earth kingdom capital until she was certain that everything was under control.

Mai had a different idea in store.

"Need help little girl?" Came a voice out of no where. Toph couldn't see him, but she had heard him.

"Do I look like I need your help?" She snapped.

Toph's wrists had gone long since purple, blue, and even red. The ropes that bound her to whatever she was hanging from cut painfully into her circulation. Her throat and lips were dry and cracked for going four days without any water. The earthebender's stomach ached from lack of food.

"It seems like you do." Came that annoying voice again.

"Well, I don't. So just leave." Toph was starting to become really annoyed now.

"I can't just leave someone when their blindfolded hanging over a raging river." Toph mentally cursed.

How many hints did this loser need?

"Well, it'll be your first time then." She grit her teeth.

Who is this mysterious person? Will Aang, Katara and Sokka escape? What does Mai have planned?

Sorry, have to go! Hope you enjoyed!


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry about the random title last chapter! I really couldn't think of anything at the moment when I was in the middle of school again! Shh! Don't tell my teachers!

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of its characters.

Chapter 5

……………………………….

(Before Mai had left the forest after they successfully captured the Avatar.)

Azula was busy shouting at the Dai Li to notice Mai slip into the shadowed trees.

Ty Lee was still frozen in the ice, so she wouldn't follow her either.

The forest was quiet, serene if you will.

Through the thick canopy of leaves overhead, Mai could see the stars that shone so brightly tonight.

It was a full moon that night, casting more light then there would have normally been. Mai quickened her pace slightly. She was already late for their meeting, the capture of the Avatar had taken longer then expected.

Hopefully he would still be waiting for her, but she didn't know until she found him.

"Late again Mai." He drawled, his face hidden in the shadows of the forest.

"I told you I would take longer this time. The Princess must suspect nothing. Do you understand?" She snapped in her monotone voice.

He snickered. "What' s the plan then?" he asked, suddenly growing serious.

"We discarded the Avatar's Earthbending teacher. Wait a few days before going to get her. Make sure that her feet stay off the ground when you do though, or else she'll recognize your vibrations. She'll be weak, so she shouldn't be much of a struggle for you even." Mai said darkly.

"Make sure you bring her to New Ozai within a week's time. If this is going to work, you need to do your part too."

The man frowned.

"You don't trust me Mai?" He teased.

"That is none of your concern." She said, turning sharply on her heel, and disappearing once again into the forest.

………………………………………………………………………………..

They were too weak to move when the metal box opened. After four days without food or water, it left them all weak and frail.

Sokka was surprisingly the first to notice that the box had been opened.

He nudged his sister, who glanced to where he had indicated.

Katara then nudged Aang.

Aang was too weak to airbend even.

A head appeared over the opening. "Ah, Avatar. How nice to see you again." Azula smiled coldly, her eyes locked on Aang's gray ones.

Katara spoke up first. "What do you want Azula?" She spat, the fire back in her eyes… even if she couldn't move.

"Tsk, tsk. Being so rude to the future Fire Lord. Show some compassion to your hostess!" Azula continued on.

Aang, Katara and Sokka grit their teeth.

Suddenly Aang jumped up and sent a huge gust of wind at Azula, and sent her flying into the nearby metal wall.

Aang quickly Airbended Katara and Sokka up and out of the confining metal cage.

"You're going to wish you hadn't done that Avatar." Azula snarled. Mai and Ty Lee, along with about fifty Dai Li agents entered the large metal room.

Katara had no water, Sokka didn't have his boomerang. The odds were against them.

"Surrender now Avatar, or we kill your little friends." Aang's eyes widened in realization.

That witch had only brought Katara and Sokka as a bargaining tool.

Aang glanced around. He could barely support himself, let alone protect both Katara and Sokka.

Katara shot him a knowing look. They had no other choice but to surrender for now.

"That's better avatar." Azula coaxed with a satisfactory smirk on her perfect lips.

"Dai Li! Escort the Avatar and his friends to their separate cells!" Azula barked.

About ten Dai Li agents surrounded Aang, Katara, and Sokka. Escorting them to their cell blocks.

………………………………………………………………………….

Heh, heh. Hopefully I am improving! Anyway I hope you enjoyed the chapter. There will be more fighting, excitement romance stuff like that later on. I promise you that much! Have a Happy Valentine's day!


	6. Chapter 6

Sigh, no reviews? Ah well. I'll keep writing even if it is to no one! Hope you enjoy the next chapter!

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of its characters.

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Chapter 6: it was really unnecessary!

"Was it really necessary to keep the ropes on my wrists and ankles?" Toph demanded in a bitter tone.

She didn't expect the man to reply, but as much as she wished he didn't, he did. "Unfortunately it is required that I keep the ropes on." Toph had gotten used to the position of being slung over his shoulders as they walked through the forest.

He had given her water and food, which she had wolfed down as politely as she could, not that she really cared.

His walk… it seemed too familiar, but her mind was still clouded. Toph was pretty sure that he had put something in her drink.

She didn't know how this guy had managed to get her down, one moment she was falling, the next, she was slung over his shoulder and being hauled off.

Her body was too sore to fight back; he had at least loosened the ropes, allowing her circulation to flow again. (Although she still hadn't regained all feeling back yet.)

Toph refused to be seen as weak in this situation, and told him that if she wasn't tied up, she'd be kicking his butt right now.

Whether he had taken that threat seriously or not, she couldn't tell.

……………………………………………………………………………………..

He would go crazy locked up inside this damned cell.

Azula had already interrogated him several times, using terrible threats and such.

She had even said that she would kill the peasant if he didn't talk by tomorrow. That meant that he would have to break out himself, Katara and Sokka. This was going to be hard. If only Toph were here!

That guilty feeling in the pit of his stomach formed again. What had happened to his Earthbending teacher. It bothered him, but right now getting the one that he loved out of her cell was more important. He knew Toph could handle herself… couldn't she?

It was Katara and Sokka that he would have to focus on. He still cared about the Waterbending master, even if the Guru had said to let her go. How could he? She was so kid, so caring… beautiful. That was one way to put it. Her deep sea blue eyes, long dark hair and slender form… he was practically drooling.

Aang knew that if Sokka found out that he liked his sister, he would probably be one dead Avatar!

Now was not the time to be drooling over his crush though.

Now was the time to take action, and bust out of here before Azula really did kill one of his friends.

It was almost impossible, being chained to a metal cell, with heavy metal chains attached to his wrists and ankles.

………………………………………………………………………………………

Meanwhile….

They hadn't put as much security around Katara. Even though she was a waterbending master, there was supposedly no water around here for three miles at least, which was a long way away.

She had no chains on her, so at least she could move around, although there was not much room to move around anyway. Her cellblock was only about three meters long by five meters.

It was better then no room anyway.

There were no windows, no doors, no nothing. Except for a small hole in the corner for restroom uses.

Every time she would fall asleep, and wake up, there would be a small loaf of mouldy bread and foul tasting water.

She was so starved, she ate it all anyway.

Katara was going crazy in here! It was so small and containing. She had no freedom! _Maybe this was what Toph felt like?_

Said a small voice in the back of her mind, always nagging her and instantly making her feel guilty.

But there were more pressing matters at hand.

Like how to escape this forsaken prison that Azula had encased her, Aang, and her brother in.

Her brother… Her heart ached. Katara wondered if her brother was still alive even. If he was okay…

Katara wiped the tears that threatened to spill over away angrily.

She refused to break down and cry at this moment.

It was up to her to save the others, and make sure that fire princess payed for what she had done!

………………………………………………………………………………………

"For high treason against the fire lord, against the nation and royal family, you are hereby sentenced to death by extreme measures!" Zuko sat in the courtroom of the Royal Palace of the Fire Nation.

The judge, who was Azula, was screaming at the man. But the man was his Uncle, Uncle Iroh.

He could nothing as his dear Uncle was hauled away to be fed to crocodiles in the river. Next it was Zuko in the judging seat, awaiting his sentence.

"Zu-Zu. For your crimes you are forever banished! Never will you regain your honour! I sentence you to death by being electrocuted!" She said in a calm, dangerous tone. Zuko tried to move, to run, but found himself bound by chains as he was dragged away.

….

Zuko woke up, smacking his head on the bedpost of the down filled bed. What a horrid nightmare that was, not that it was much of an improvement from the real thing.

He found himself drenched with sweat, and panting hard as he lit the candle next to his bed.

Zuko placed his head in his hands, running his fingers through his sweat soaked hair.

"Uncle…" He murmured, wondering if he had really made the right choice. If taking his rightful place as the future fire lord, and living like he was really supposed to was a crime, then he'd commit it again and again.

But the look that his Uncle had given him when he had betrayed him… It was unforgettable.

It was like all the trust his Uncle had in him had vanished. Gone completely. But why should he care? A Fire Lord was ruthless; they showed no mercy for the weak. Honour was to be held above all else. Love, family, anything.

If you cared for nothing other then power, then you were weak. Useless. Zuko would not be weak.

………………………………………………………………………………………

Toph had fallen asleep after a while of being carried; her exhaustion had pushed her will to stay awake far away. She had finally given in. So what if she died in the hands of this stranger? At least she would die sleeping.

Her dreams were nightmares as well; she slept restlessly, always a feeling of guilt in the pit of her stomach.

She hadn't felt this helpless in a long time.

But her body, no matter how much she willed it to move, it wouldn't obey her.

What troubled her is that Azula had found where they were.

She would definitely take Aang alive… But what about Katara and Sokka? Or even Appa and Momo? As much as she didn't like flying, she liked Appa. Even though Momo was seriously annoying, he kept her company when they were in the air.

It was much later when she woke up. Her feet were on solid ground. Big mistake for mystery man. He was sleeping nearby, but Toph easily found a rock and cut the bonds on her ankles and wrists.

She knew she was probably way too late, but something drove her weary body on. Toph wanted to beat who ever this guy was up, but she knew that her friends were in trouble, and took off into the trees.

She recognized this area as Toph ran. Occasionally she would trip and fall over loose branches, her clothes tearing as they caught on thickets.

Her blood pounded in her ears as she ran. Her body felt so weak, but the thought of her not being able to protect her friends… her _family_.

Never would she let them down, not if she was still alive.

After about ten more minutes, she burst into the clearing that they had been camping at. She sensed in the ground, there had been a fight, but the trail had long since gone cold.

Another thing confirmed Toph's worst fears. She kneeled down and picked up both Aang's staff, and Sokka's boomerang, clutching them both tightly in her bloody fists.

She would get the one she loved back. She would save her friends and be the one to kill that Fire Witch.

…………………………………………………………………………………….

Heh heh. Hopefully you all like this story! Whom does Toph love? Will Zuko make the right decision? Will Aang rescue Katara and Sokka? I'm not really sure!

Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

Heh heh. Sorry it took me so long to update this time…

I was participating in a basketball tourney all weekend!! I don't know about you, but I can't walk up the stairs without groaning about how sore my legs are!!!

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of its characters.

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Chapter 7….

Aang slowly devised a plan overnight, praying that it would work. It could go two ways. Either it could go perfectly, without any bumps along in the road, or it could go horribly utterly wrong and result in some terrible horrible way. (You get my point.) Aang hoped that it would be the first option. His plan may not go smoothly, but hopefully it would work.

The guard was a brute, and better yet, an idiotic one at that.

Aang hoped that he could manage to trick the guard into taking off the chains that bound him to the wall. Maybe, just maybe… The guard was stupid enough to fall for a good old fashioned jail break?

It was highly unlikely, but it was the best option that he had at the moment.

As expected, the guard brought in the tray of gross sludge that they called soup and set it down just out of Aang's reach.

The guards often liked to do this, torment him before they gave him his "food".

The brute of a guard came over and taunted the young Avatar. Aang pretended to take it with a miserable face.

"My arms are too weak to even bend." Aang whined in a nasal voice. "I knew Azula was right all along to say that she would win." (Aang had to grit his teeth while saying this, but tried to sound pathetic, it seemed to be working as he had planned.

"That princess is damn right scary she is! But what a babe!" The guard remarked with a dreamy look in his eyes. Aang didn't want to imagine what he was thinking. The guard stepped a little closer. "Between you and me, the Princesses friends aren't so bad either." He muttered, his eyes darting nervously around.

_Just a little closer…_

The guard leaned against the wall, taking a swig of ale as he continued. "But what would a mere boy know of being a man?" He asked with a sneer on his face, taking one last step closer.

_Yes!!!_

Aang smiled before head butting the guard, knocking him out cold.

………………………………………………………………………………………

"Who's there?" Katara tried to keep her voice from shaking as she thought that she heard something. _I must be going crazy._ Katara thought, but there was that noise again, it sounded suspiciously like nails being scratched on the metal.

Taking a deep breath, she stood up on her weak legs and went to seek out the source of the noise.

Katara stared stupidly at the small kitten that had somehow found its way in here. It had soft grey fur and huge tennis ball watery brown eyes.

It mewed pitifully, head butting Katara's leg, purring non stop.

_I was scared of a kitten?_ Katara asked herself, absentmindedly picking up the kitten and stroking it softly.

The kitten hadn't been in here before… How had it gotten in?

Katara glanced at the tiny fur ball that was cuddled into her chest, purring loudly. She looked around; the cell was still the same metal hell hole it had been since she first got here. What had changed? Other then she had a new friend… But how had this thing got in here?

Katara put the kitten down gently, before crawling on her hands and knees around the cell, looking for the way that the kitten had somehow gotten in.

Then she saw it. It was a hole about as big as her fist, the metal had rusted and slowly rotted away.

The kitten trotted up next to Katara as she lay on the cold metal ground and peered through the hole.

It looked like some kind of broom closet almost.

Complete with an old smelly mop and dusty broom. But that's not what caught her eye.

It was the pairs of armour that lay scattered around. Perfect for an escape!

………………………………………………………………………………………

Sokka gripped his stomach. He was withering on the floor in pain! How cruel these people were! HE WAS HUNGRY! For god's sake! Didn't they know how to feed a person around here?

Unlike the others, he hadn't been locked in special metal cages which were designed to keep benders contained. No. He thought that they didn't think that he was much of a threat, so they locked him in one of those old regular stone cells that had bars on the front.

He had been locked up in the main jail, not the high security jail like Aang and Katara had been locked up in. Or at least that's what he heard from the other prisoners in the cell across from his.

Many people in Ba Sing Se were suffering from the Azula's harsh reign over the final strong hold of the Earth Kingdom, but now it was no longer a stronghold.

It was a base for Azula and the Fire Nation. Many preached about how all hope was gone. How the world would finally end as the Fire Nation would reign supreme.

Sokka had to admit that it was all very depressing. Very depressing indeed. Not only that, but on top of it all, his sister had been kidnapped, and his boomerang may not actually come back this time!

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Toph ran at top speed, using the earth underneath her, almost like she was surfing a waver. Except the wave was earth, and not to mention she had no surf board… Toph was angry. More angry then she had ever been in her entire life. She was pretty sure she even made that annoying cabbage man soil himself when he had gotten in her way and she had practically exploded on him.

But it was her **_family_** in danger!

She had used some of the ropes that she had gotten from when she had been tied up, and used the to strap both Aang's staff and Sokka's boomerang to her back so that she could still use her hands.

They had fled far away that day when they escaped Ba Sing Se. The Earth King, they had dropped off at a small town, where the people agreed to shelter and hide both the earth king and his bear.

She was getting close, she could tell, but it was still a long ways off.

Not to mention there was the problem of getting into the city… Knowing that fire witch Azula, she would already have those Dai Li agents posted, and security most likely tightened.

But she was Toph! The greatest Earthbender in the world! She would somehow find a way to rescue her friends, even if it cost her life…

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Katara had been saving the water that the guards would bring her everyday. One glass in the morning, one glass at night.

Although she had to drink some of the water, she conserved most of it for her plan. All she had needed was one small flaw in the metal, and she had gotten her wish!

That tiny kitten that she had named Koi, who was a small male kitten, had practically saved her life by showing her that hole that he had somehow managed to squeeze himself through. That part still puzzled Katara, but what mattered now was escaping and saving both her brother and Aang.

Katara did that same thing as her and Aang had done in the Drill. She wove the water back and forth, slowly slicing the metal as she went. It was gruelling work, and she needed to take breaks quite often, Koi kept her company.

She only needed a hole big enough so that she could squeeze through without cutting herself on the sharp metal edges.

She needed to finish it tonight. It was easy enough concealed in the darkness. The guards never came in anyway. They always slid that disgusting soup and her water through a small little flap, but they would check on her one they delivered her evening "meal".

Koi rubbed up against Katara, mewing, wanting more attention. Katara panted hard as she took a brief break. It was almost dawn; she would have to finish quickly.

As usual the same gross sludge and foul tasting glass of water arrived through the small flap, but by then, Katara had been long since done. Her arms ached terribly, but as soon as the water came, she downed a quarter of it, and saved the rest for bending in case she needed it later.

Katara crawled through the hole, before sticking the metal plate into the hole, and wedging it in so it looked like it wasn't cut. Koi somehow seemed to know the seriousness of her situation, and for once, he didn't make any noise, but padded along behind her silently.

Katara chose some armour that would fit her… Er, well almost anyway.

Koi drew attention to how she would stand out if a cat followed her around when she was supposed to be a guard.

She managed to get Koi under the helmet, sitting on top of her head. It kind of worked better this way.

Koi helped fill the helmet so that it didn't fall over her eyes.

Her eyes were another problem.

Not one fire nation person had blue eyes. She would be found out instantly. All she could do for that problem was hope that she wouldn't have to lift the visor on the armour.

Koi was quite content under the helmet, cuddled into Katara's soft brown hair. Katara took a deep breath before opening the broom closet door, and stepping out into the open.

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I hoped you liked this chapter. I'm working on making this story better for everyone! I would appreciate reviews please. You can all help me make this story better!!! Thanks a lot!


	8. Chapter 8

First of all thank you for all the reviews I got last chapter!!!! You guys are the greatest. Another matter at hand though… It was brought up several times. The dreaded pairings thing!!!

Now I'm not really sure at which direction I'll go for that type of thing. I guess you'll just have to wait and find out!

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of its characters.

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Chapter 8

_Breathe in and out, in and out…_

Katara reminded herself as she padded quietly along the corridors of the prison.

Koi remained silent as he curled up and made himself comfortable on her head, sometimes Katara forgot that he was sitting on her head.

Luckily there hadn't been any other guards down here; they were probably all in the mess hall, getting their breakfasts.

Taking a deep breath, she turned left and headed down the long corridor, glancing around every now and then.

So far so good.

As long as she wasn't caught, then it was all good, until they found her cell empty at night, when they came in to check on her.

Another sharp turn as Katara's legs trembled under the weight of the armour. She had gotten this far, but she had barely eaten at all, and her body was weak. How hard could it be to find the Avatar?

Katara rounded another corner, and was knocked back by a huge gust of wind. She hit the wall—hard.

Feeling dazed and slightly sick, Katara focused on the figure in the orange and yellow clothes that was approaching her.

Aang gripped the guard's collar and hoisted them up.

"Aang. Aang, its me." Katara hissed.

The Avatar nearly dropped her in surprise.

"Katara?" He gasp.

Katara nodded, laughing weakly.

"What Firebender has blue eyes?" She said, accepting Aang's hand and he hauled her up. Aang bowed his head, slightly deflated.

"It's fine Aang, besides, if it's as hard to see in here as it is to see out, then I understand!" She laughed, but it was in vain.

"Come on." He said, grabbing her hand and yanking her down the opposite end of the hall.

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Sokka stirred from his sleep slightly as he heard the guards shuffling down the hallway noisily. Grumbling, Sokka rolled over and tried to get in a more comfortable position.

He heard the door to his cell open creakily, and someone was shoved inside. Sokka rolled over, seeing who it was, and nearly had a heart attack from the surprise.

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Toph took shelter under a rocky ledge for a moment, pondering what she should do.

As expected, the security was definitely tightened, and as much as she wanted to go over and kick the guards' butts, she knew that if she did, it would rouse attention to her, and they would tighten security around her friends.

_What about the old man? _

Asked a voice in her head.

Toph bit her lip. He had helped them as Katara explained to her later on. He had sacrificed himself in order to save the Avatar. Was he even still alive? Toph remembered how kind the old man had been to her.

She shuddered to think if he was not still alive.

Toph peered over the rocky ledge and towards the city, Ba Sing Se.

The Dai Li patrolled the high walls, as well as they had many outlooks, scanning the desert around them for any sign of movement.

The only way… Toph realized, was to go underground and hope that they didn't have anything beneath there.

She punched the ground, instantly a hold appeared at her will. Toph jumped into the hole, and plunged into a metal hallway.

Ever since she had bended metal when she had escaped from those two idiots, she could bend metal. Although it was harder to see in metal, she could still see.

There was no one around at all; she wondered where on earth she was.

She padded softly down the hallway, bracing herself on the metal walls as she made her way around.

She could feel very faint vibrations, and she instantly recognized whose they were. Toph balled her fists tightly, clenching her teeth as she turned around. As much as she wanted to kill that Fire Witch, she knew that it would only draw attention to her, and that was something that she couldn't afford at the moment.

Suddenly Toph recognized two vibrations.

She took off running in that direction.

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"Meathead! Meathead!" Sokka sat up instantly, slamming his head on the stone slab that stuck out slightly.

Iroh, who had been thrown in earlier that night, woke up as well. There was only one person who called him that!

"Toph?" He asked groggily. Toph shushed him, not wanting to draw any attention.

"Ah, the mysterious traveller!" Iroh exclaimed, pleased at seeing the blind girl again. "It's good to see you again old man." Toph acknowledged, gripping the bars with her hands.

It would be like before when they had locked her in that cage with the earth king, it would be easy.

Toph concentrated, beads of sweat formed on her brow, but she managed to bend the bars enough so that the old man would be able to fit through.

She panted afterwards, Sokka placed a comforting hand on her back, but Toph brushed him off more abruptly then she meant to.

"Where's SugarQueen and Twinkle Toes?" She asked, whipping the sweat from her brow.

Iroh stroked his beard, pondering over where they might be.

Her "sight" Only went so far in this metal monster.

"Follow me, and keep quiet." She hissed, motioning for the two to follow.

Sokka and Iroh did not need telling twice!

They ran down the halls, stopping every now and then to catch their breath, and so that Toph could listen better.

That's when she recognized Aang's footsteps, how he barely touched the ground beneath him.

And another, one that she did not recognize.

A guard most likely.

Before they took off, Toph remembered that she had Sokka's boomerang, untied it and tossed it to him.

His eyes went about as wide as saucers.

"Boomerang!" he exclaimed, hugging the weapon, "you do always come back!" Toph rolled her eyes and Iroh just chuckled.

They were heading this way... Sokka was poised, ready with his boomerang, and Iroh was breathing in and out, getting ready to control flames if necessary.

Toph focused on a patch of metal that the guard was heading towards, making it softer, a little bit more…. A little more….

"Ahh!" Yes!

The three rushed to see Aang, who was shocked and gaping at the "guard" who was stuck in waist deep metal, and was struggling to get out.

Aang's head snapped their way as he spotted Sokka, Iroh, and Toph.

"Its okay Aang!" Sokka announced.

"Never fear! The rest of the Aang gang is here!"

Katara moaned as she sat waist deep in metal. "Sokka." She growled, clearly annoyed at both her brother, and being sunken waist deep into metal.

"Katara?" Sokka asked. "Katara!" he repeated, hugging his sister, and nearly suffocating her.

"Sorry Katara. I didn't recognize your footsteps with all that armour on." Toph apologized, commanding the metal to bend at her will, and it spat Katara out instantly.

Katara brushed herself off, and took all the armour off with some difficulty as the men turned away to let her change. (Aang blushing madly)

"Toph," Aang seemed to realize that she was standing here before him.

"How did you survive?" he asked slowly, almost hesitantly.

There was a moment's silence before Toph was about to answer, unfortunately, she never got the chance.

"Indeed, how did you survive?" Came a drawling voice. Toph tensed up right away as the five turned to face Azula, Mai and Ty Lee.

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Sorry it took me so long to update, but I have a major science projects due with Mucho marks! Hope you enjoyed!


	9. Chapter 9

Terribly sorry it took me so long to update! The science fair was hectic! Whoo Hoo! Who got second place? I did! clears throat Well, now that I've got that out of my system… Heheh. Anyway, here's chapter nine! Oh and thank you soooo much for the reviews! You guys are awesome!

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of its characters.

Chapter 9

Toph turned just in time to nearly be struck down by lightening as Azula and her two cronies, Mai and Ty Lee backed her up.

The plus side, Aang managed to Airbend Toph out of the way, the bad side…

Well he put a little too much haste to it, causing a stronger wind then he should have and ended up slamming Toph into the wall.

Azula glanced at the earthbender's crumpled form before turning back to the Avatar.

"Now Avatar, be a good little boy and get back into your cell." Azula sneered as she poised herself for battle, Mai and Ty Lee copied her example.

Katara lifted Koi off of her head and set him down on the ground, he was hissing and spitting at Azula.

Azula looked like she wanted to go over and kick the cat, but Katara would not allow it.

Everyone was poised for an attack, what puzzled Iroh, was that his nephew was not here.

It saddened him slightly. He thought Zuko knew better then to trust his sister.

Nobody moved, it was Mai once again who made the first move.

She flung a barrage of daggers at Sokka, who knocked them away fiercely and charged after her as she continued to do so.

Aang found himself dodging Azula's relentless lightening attack as Iroh helped him.

Katara had grown quicker as she and Ty Lee looked like they were doing some kind of bizarre dance back and forth.

Toph cleared her head by shaking it back and forth. "You're so gonna get it Twinkle Toes." She muttered under her breath, focusing on shifting the metal beneath Azula's feet.

Her vision was blurry; there was too much movement for one very small bender. Katara focused on keeping Ty Lee at bay. She knew that the group needed her, and in order for that to work, she needed to be able to use her bending in case anyone got hurt.

Ty Lee was determined; she kept jabbing here and there, trying to breach Katara's defences, until finally Katara got so frustrated, she froze Ty Lee on the spot!

Aang dodged several lightening throws from Azula, charring his monk's robes as he just managed to dodge a fatal blow.

Iroh was backing him up from behind, occasionally throwing some fireballs to catch Azula off guard.

The battle was pretty boring at that. Aang didn't notice it, but Toph sure did as she regained her balance.

"Why are they holding back?" She murmured, still focusing on the spot beneath Azula. It was true, but for reasons that the Boomerang squad may not know.

Without realizing it, Azula had fired a lightening bolt that had gone way off its intended target.

Instead, it hit Toph.

She dropped to the ground instantly, but no one noticed as the earth bender dropped, they only noticed how suddenly the metal walls around them began to snap apart.

"It's coming down!" Someone shouted, and they all bolted different ways.

No one noticed as Katara and Koi hung back, as the waterbender saw Toph lying there. Soon the rubble blocked them from view.

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I know! I know! Really lame chapter right? Truly sorry about that.

Everything's been so busy lately. I have to read 561 paged book by Friday! Anyway please review and what not, I do appreciate it a lot!


	10. Chapter 10

I am really, really, really sorry for last chapter!!!

I totally apologize for my lack of detail and horrible writing skills last chapter!!!

sobs My mind has been elsewhere lately, report cards are coming up, as well as learning an entirely different language does take its toll on one after a while!

So please bear with me for but a little while longer, oh, and thank you so much for the reviews last chapter! Please keep them coming!

Oh, I also forgot to put the standard disclaimer for last chapter… Terribly sorry!

I shall do it two times in order to try and make up!

Standard disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of its characters.

Standard disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of its characters.

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Chapter 10

Katara took deep breaths as she struggled to move the metal that had inconveniently fallen on her ankle.

_It hurts. Its hurts. It hurts. _

Was all that ran through her mind as she shifted her body weight again, trying to shove it off of her.

Koi mewed nearby, his paw had been badly crushed as well, he sat huddled beside Katara, nursing his wounded paw.

She hoped to god that the others were okay, and had not been crushed in the metal. Why on earth had the metal all around them started falling? Katara didn't know, but she had an idea that it had to do with a certain earthbender!

Mustering the little strength she had left, Katara pushed with all her might, yet it was still not enough!

Sighing in frustration, Katara glanced around at her surroundings.

Most of those odd green glowing crystal lights had been crushed and broke apart, littering the floor with their eerie glow.

Koi mewed softly, his huge tennis ball eyes wide with some emotion that Katara couldn't name.

The waterbender glanced down at the cat, trying to lift the metal enough so that she could squeeze her ankle out from underneath the painfully heavy object.

Sighing, Katara leaned back on the piece of metal that had somehow propped itself up behind her.

"Need a hand sugarqueen?" Came an all too familiar voice from somewhere in the darkness.

"How can you see where you're going Toph? It's so dark!" Katara asked, suddenly realizing her idiocy.

"Uh, sorry about that." She murmured, slapping her forehead.

Toph just laughed gruffly, but suddenly went into a fit of coughing. Katara saw her out of the corner of her eye as Toph spit up something that looked suspiciously like—blood!

Katara's eyes went wide, but she dared not say anything, knowing that Toph would probably deny it.

"I can't use my bending, but I'll help you lift it." Toph said, making Katara wonder what had happened to her bending.

"On three." Katara said calmly as Koi moved out of the way.

"One," Said Katara.

"Two," Said Toph.

"Three!" They hissed together as they shoved that piece of metal with all their might.

Who know it would be so heavy!

Katara breathed a sigh of relief as the astounding pressure was lifted off of her throbbing ankle.

Toph sat herself beside Katara, making sure that she didn't sit on the tiny kitten known as Koi.

Toph leaned heavily against the piece of metal as the two benders struggled to catch their breaths. Katara drew some water from the little that she had left and healed Koi's tiny mangled paw.

Instantly after Katara healed him, then he rubbed his body against hers, purring non-stop.

Katara then took a look at her ankle, wincing as she saw how bad it really was.

Before healing herself, Katara turned and asked Toph: "do you need any healing?" Toph pondered over that for a moment, thinking of her own body, but sensing how damaged Katara was.

She put her friend before her for once.

"No, I'm fine." She lied through her teeth.

Whether Katara bought it or not, it was too dark to actually see if Toph was hurt or not, so she took her word for it.

Instantly Katara was filled with a cool tingling sensation as she healed her horribly crushed ankle. Relief washed over her body.

If only for a moment, she felt better and relaxed.

Koi had curled up in Katara's lap as she had healed her ankle, purring away.

"Is there any way out of here Toph?" Katara ask hopefully.

Toph scrunched her eyes shut, focusing on the metal floor all around her. After a minute or so of this, she opened her useless eyes and shook her head.

"The metal is spread apart, and it's all mixed up. I can only see in a very small range." The earthbender explained, leaning her head wearily against the piece of metal.

Hauling herself up, Toph helped Katara up as well.

Katara checked her ankle briefly before they set off, rolling it this way and that, leaning on it just to check and see if she healed it correctly, satisfied, she followed Toph, but not before picking up Koi.

"Stay close sugar queen, there's lots of metal pieces sticking up, watch your legs and step exactly where I step. The ground isn't stable."

Katara gulped at Toph's words, wishing that she could "see" the way that Toph did.

Koi buried himself in Katara's hair as he placed himself on her head.

It took an awfully long time to just get out of the rubble; every now and then they had to move a piece of metal.

It was like playing some kind of bizarre game of twister or something like that.

When they finally managed to duck and weave their way out of the worst of the rubble.

By the time that they were out of the worst of the rubble, their muscles were shaking almost uncontrollably as they wove their way through the fewer pieces of the metal slabs.

Katara was still very careful to follow Toph's soundless footsteps.

Undoubtedly it began to get lighter, they came to an area of the tunnels that the odd green crystals weren't entirely crushed, and lit the tunnel enough for Katara to catch a glimpse of her friend.

Toph looked like she had seen better days that's for sure!

There was a large blackened burn in her shoulder, where Azula had struck her painfully.

Her arm also hung limply by her side, her shoulder was looking very… Odd?

"Toph, is your shoulder dislocated?" Katara asked worriedly, Toph just brushed her off wearily.

"Some metal fell and caught my arm okay? It's nothing?" for a moment, Katara thought that she saw pain reflected in the younger girl's sightless eyes, if it was, it was only for a split second before it disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"Do you think the others are okay?" Katara noticed that Koi had jumped from her head to Toph's.

Toph looked irritable as she tried to pluck the kitten from her head.

Katara felt a smile tug at the corners of her lips; she couldn't help but laugh as Toph shot her a glare.

"I'm not sure." Was all Toph could manage to say, a tight knot of guilt had long since formed in her stomach.

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Aang's eyelids fluttered open, and then closed again as he felt how heavy they were.

He tried to remember where he was; it all came back to him like someone had just punched him in the stomach!

They had been fighting, and then suddenly everything around them had begun to collapse… Ugh it made his head hurt!

Giving his bald head a little shake, he slowly eased his way up.

The tiny smashed green glowing crystals did not offer as much light as the Avatar would have hoped, but it would have to do for now.

He needed to get out, and he needed to get out now.

Where were Katara, Sokka, that old man, and Toph?

There was a groan somewhere close to Aang, his head snapped around; he breathed a sigh of relief as he saw it was only Sokka.

Now where was the old man?

Aang looked around as he absentmindedly helped Sokka up.

"Nothing the sarcastic guy can't handle." Sokka had grumbled when Aang asked if he was okay.

Aang spotted the old man next. He was lying flat on his back, a large piece of metal had landed on his arm, pinning him in place.

"Ah, Avatar, how nice to see you once again." Iroh remarked, cheerful as always, regardless of the pain.

Aang used a reserve of the last of his strength to airbend the heavy thing off of the old man.

"Much obliged Avatar." The old man rubbed his arm sorely.

"Call me Aang." Aang helped the old man up as well.

Three out of five, not bad, but still missing two.

Sokka seemed to read Aang's mind.

"I'm sure that they're fine! I mean, those two girls together, I wouldn't worry about them." Sokka tried to sound surer then he felt.

He too was worried for his baby sister.

Aang forced a smile. "I'm sure that you're right Sokka."

Iroh brushed himself off, being careful of his now sorely bruised arm.

"I suggest that we find a way out of this place, find your friends and possibly my nephew, and then go get a nice cup of jasmine tea."

Iroh suggested, his mouth watering at the thought of jasmine tea.

In his prison cell, he had gotten nothing but disgusting sludge and stale dead water, so in other words, Iroh was yearning for tea!

"You make it all sound so easy." Aang thought aloud, he was trying to think of a way to get out of here without anyone getting injured.

Sokka was checking to see if his boomerang was okay, his brow furrowed also.

"I think our only option to keep going in one direction. The entire cell block probably isn't wrecked." Iroh suggested.

Aang and Sokka shrugged, neither of them could come up with anything better, so they made their way slowly through the wreckage.

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Zuko had still been asleep when there had been a very loud explosion type noise and then a whole bunch of screams as the ground shook so violently it made Zuko fall out of bed!

But as quickly as it had come, it had gone.

There was a knock at his door, and a Dai Li agent came in timidly.

"Half of the underground cell block has collapsed Prince Zuko. The Princess as well as the Avatar has been presumed dead. What are your orders?"

At the agent's words, Zuko felt his heart lurch to a stop, and his stomach suddenly felt like someone had kicked him in the stomach repeatedly.

"Tell me, what half of the cell block did the old general reside in?" Zuko asked, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

"All of the traitors and the Avatar were kept in the side that collapsed." The Dai Li agent stated, oblivious to Zuko's horror.

"Clean out the mess right away! And capture any survivors." Zuko roared, the Dai Li agent scurried to get out of the room in fear of his life.

Zuko dropped to his knees, the realization settling in.

His Uncle… Uncle Iroh, the only relative that he had, that had cared about him… Was gone?

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Again, sorry for my incredibly bleak writing last chapter, I hope that this makes up for it for the most part! Please forgive me! Oh, and can someone tell me… What does every one mean by Mary Sue?


	11. Chapter 11

Thank you so much for the reviews last chapter! You guys are so awesome!

I did appreciate the constructive criticism, and if you could all keep it coming, that would be even better!

Oh and thanks to Tefnut Talvi, Eromus Revenus and Emerald-236! I now know what Mary Sue is! Thanks again to all of you!

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of its characters.

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"Are we out yet?" Sokka asked for what seemed to be the millionth time that day.

Even the kindly old general Iroh was getting to be a little agitated by the warrior's constant whining.

Aang turned around to face Sokka.

"No not yet Sokka." He sighed dully.

Sokka groaned loudly, putting more exaggeration into it then needed.

_Not bad, three here, two missing…_

It was a struggle to find those two girls, especially when the cell block had collapsed for some reason.

Aang climbed over a large chunk of chipped metal, cautioning the others to be careful.

The airbender couldn't help but think of Katara.

Was she okay?

He cringed inwardly to think if anything had happened to her.

Another thought that bothered him was how on earth was this cave-in caused anyway?

Had it been some kind of leak, and then when Azula fired her lightening, it somehow triggered an explosion?

No… That was ruled out because there had been no explosion, no fire.

The cell block had just started to come down all around them so suddenly, it was impossible to see what had really triggered the collapse!

Aang hadn't realized how parched he was. His throat was dry, cracked and his lips were bleeding painfully.

Aang had been the lucky one, and he knew that. He had not been injured by any falling debris.

Sokka had been lucky too. He had a few scratches, and looked a little worse for ware, but heck, he was alive and breathing wasn't he?

It was Iroh who hadn't been lucky.

His arm looked pretty bad. Crushed and most likely broken in several different places.

Although the old man wasn't complaining, Aang was pretty sure that he was in severe pain.

It had gotten slightly lighter, and they had been able to see a lot easier as they wove their way around the debris.

Aang could only hope that his two friends were okay.

………………………………………………………………………………………

Mai didn't know how she had managed to survive that cave-in.

It had all happened so fast, she had woken up, knocked out somehow, she had woken up several hours later.

That idiot! She nearly screamed aloud, her fists balled as she made her way out of the collapsed cell block.

She checked to see if her favourite dagger was still strapped to her ankle.

It was the dagger that she was considering to kill that fool with!

The one that had let the little earthbender escape!

That just goes to show if you wanted something done, you had to do it yourself that was for sure!

She stormed out of the palace, earning a few questioning looks. Mai returned them with an icy glare, realizing that he usually spotless robes were most likely covered in rubble and dust.

All he had had to do was transport that little girl into New Ozai, I mean; she was practically crippled as it was, spending four days hanging dangerously over a river and all…

Mai fingered the dagger that she had drawn out.

She stroked its wonderfully soft blade, drawing a single drop of blood from her thumb.

_Hmm, too dull to stab anybody with at the moment_… She thought, putting her dagger away.

Deciding against it, she turned back. Knowing that if somehow Azula had managed to survive that cave-in, she would be furious.

A part of her wished that the fire nation princess had been found dead, but part of her wanted to find the fire nation princess alive and well enough.

………………………………………………………………………………………

As they wandered through the long dark, gloomy corridors, Katara tended to Koi.

He was being pampered as she stroked him lovingly, as he purred like a non-stop motor.

Toph's hair was all messed up thanks to a certain kitten that sat contently in Katara's arms. Koi had taken a liking to the gruff earthbender, and had required help to pry the thing off of her head.

They had finally managed to find their way out of the rubble; unfortunately, they had not seen their friends at all.

It was certainly worrying Katara, who was so worried she annoyed Toph ranting on and on about what if this happened, or what if that happened.

Toph was certain that she'd go crazy by the time this minor set back was over!

Although she hated to admit it, and I mean she really hated to admit it, she was worried about the others.

Toph couldn't help but feel guilty, since it was her fault that the entire cave-in thing had even happened.

It had all happened so fast.

She had been careless, focusing too much on bending the metal beneath their enemies' feet, when she had been struck by lightening, and it had caused her focus to snap like a brittle twig.

So instead of bending the metal beneath their feet, when her concentration snapped, she had ended up letting the earth go wild, triggering the cave-in.

Everyone could be hurt because of her, or worse…Toph shuddered at the thought.

Katara was quick to spot a light at the end of the tunnel.

"Toph! A way out!" She exclaimed excitedly. Being underground for so long gave made her unnerved, but her friend didn't seem to mind it at all.

Katara was the one who led this time, grasping Toph's hand in her own.

Toph seemed a little uncomfortable with this, but didn't say anything. Sugar Queen was just trying to lead her out anyway.

Koi jumped out of Katara's arms as they reached the light. Koi mewed, rubbing himself against the waterbender's legs as they walked out into the bright light of the sun.

Katara sighed in relief as she basked herself in the sunlight, twirling around happily.

But that relief was not to last long.

Toph felt so odd, it was as if she wasn't even in her own body as her head spun, and she fell unconscious.

Katara saw her friend fall, watching as if in slow motion, it wasn't long before her vision suddenly went blurry, and then she was plunged into an abyss of darkness.

……………………………………………………………………………………...

Sorry to cut this chapter short, and leave you at a cliff hanger… But I do have math class you know!

Hope you enjoyed!


	12. Chapter 12

Ugh! So much pressure!

Too much pressure!

Sigh, sorry about that, but I myself am finding it hard to pick who is with who in this case, and I'm sorry that I cannot please everyone. Oh, and this is not a KataraxToph kinda thing, I assure you that the "pairings" will be revealed soon!

Oh and thank you for the reviews! You guys are too good to me!

Although I am rather empty headed… What does OC stand for? You know, like when it says umm… say, KataraxOC. What on earth (no pun intended) does that mean?

Thanks again! Enjoy.

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of its characters.

………………………………………………………………………………………

"Meow."

Katara felt herself coming back into consciousness, but she fluttered between an abyss of darkness and coming round.

"Meow."

Katara felt someone nudge her head, as if trying to wake her.

The waterbender's eyes flickered open, she nearly cried out loud as the tiny face of Koi filled her entire vision.

Koi head butted Katara's nose fondly, licking her cheek worriedly.

"I'm fine Koi." She remarked, swatting him away irritably.

Hauling herself up, Katara glanced around.

Beside her, there were two other bodies.

Katara's heart stopped.

At first she thought that they were dead, but no…

Their chests rose and fell steadily.

The waterbender breathed a sigh of relief as she heaved herself up. Koi batted his huge eyes at her, mewing in disappointment as she didn't pet him any more for now.

Katara rubbed her neck, where she had found a tiny place that had been pricked. Her eyes were still focusing on her surroundings, but enough so that she could recognize the two people beside her.

The old man, and her brother, thank goodness they were alive!

But then where were Aang and Toph?

Koi mewed again beside her, indicating a small piece of cloth beside her. Katara's eyes grew wide. It was the head band that Toph always wore!

………………………………………………………………………………………

He could barely recognize the rebellious earthbender with her hair down. The only way he had realized it was her, was when she had started hurling insults at him non-stop.

She had finally realized who he was, and she had been surprised at first, it had quickly changed to anger, as all her moods normally did.

Mai had direct orders, he had been pretty sure that she had been close to stabbing him, but restrained herself.

Lucky him.

Why did they even need this little girl anyway, the plan would probably go just fine without her, but Mai would not tell him what she needed her for.

Following orders like an obedient little boy, he had obeyed her.

There was a knock at the door, and two figures entered.

"Come on Jet, Mai's here."

………………………………………………………………………………………  
Azula had been found alive, if not just barely.

It didn't stop the fire princess from being raving mad, Zuko was pretty sure that she had killed at least three Dai Li agents in her anger.

Ty Lee, being the nimble one, had successfully evaded all of the falling debris, and was as happy and as perky as ever.

Azula, in her rage, although not knowing it, had caused a dilemma for the three lost men in the rubble.

…….

Aang had finally gotten them out and boy were they glad.

Even if he was an earthbender, he didn't find caves comforting like Toph might, and the light had stung his eyes painfully when they had re-emerged from the prison.

Iroh had certainly seen better days, but for some reason he looked rather miserable.

For now Aang hadn't the strength to ask him what was wrong.

His legs trembled despite his best efforts to steady them. This attempt failed miserably.

Sokka cradled his boomerang as if it were a fragile baby, he seemed rather afraid of losing it again.

They had made a make shift sling for Iroh, his arm broken in several places, it looked bad.

It then occurred to Aang.

He had been so busy worrying about everyone else, he had completely forgotten about Appa and Momo!

What had happened to his two companions? He hoped nothing bad had happened.

Before he could think any more of the subject however, he felt an odd sensation at the back of his neck, and his world went black.

………………………………………………………………………………….

Fortunately there was a certain earthbender who did indeed find out what happened to Appa and Momo.

Toph had had a rude awakening that was for sure.

Water had been tossed over her head. Toph _hated_ water.

Sure, Toph had nothing against Katara, who was a waterbender, it was just the element that she had power over that she hated! Simple as that, end of story.

She had been seated in what she guessed to be a carriage, heading to who knows where.

Surprisingly, she had not been bound, gagged, the works.

But as soon as she placed a foot on the floor of the carriage, her jaw had dropped as she realized who that mysterious man had been.

He was sitting directly across from her, his arms crossed over his chest, his head resting against the seat behind him.

At first she thought that he had been sleeping, but the moment she moved his eyes snapped open.

A smirk settled across his face as he saw the look on her own.

Although he didn't like playing the bad guy at the moment, Mai had said that it had to be that way for now.

"Sleep well?" He asked in a falsely concerned voice.

Instantly that look of surprise had turned into anger. Pure livid anger.

"You," She hissed.

"I thought you were good!" He remembered that she could detect if he was telling lies, so he didn't answer that one.

Jet turned to look at her, as she made a movement to summon some earth, most likely to pound him with, but she winced and dropped her arms.

Her shoulder was swollen grotesquely, dislocated completely.

Keeping his bad guy act on, he decided to get right down to business.

"I wouldn't suggest trying to escape or hurt me Toph; you don't want the death of the Avatar's beloved pets on your hands do you?" He asked coolly.

Her eyes narrowed. "Appa and Momo…" She muttered under her breath.

Aang loved those two dearly; they were the only thing that linked him to his past.

Jet was actually surprised when she seated herself back down.

"I thought you were good." He heard her mumble.

He had an odd smile on his face when he replied: "I saved you didn't I?"

She had nothing to say to that.

…………………………………………………………………………………

Oh! Mystery man revealed! What will happen next, why does Mai need Toph for this plan of hers? Where is Aang? Will Zuko make the right choice? I really have no clue!

Thanks for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

I am really sorry that it took so long to update!

Things have been busy lately, making me tired and lazy. But I am officially on spring break as of April Second! So now I will take more time to update for those who are still reading. Oh, and thanks you very much for the reviews! Keep em coming please!

And before I forget… Thank you to Emerald-236, Tokkalover and Jia Yu! Thank you, because I now know what OC means.

(Don't worry Jia Yu, you have not offended me in anyway.)

Thanks Again!

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of its characters.

………………………………….

Chapter 13

"Appa… Momo…" Toph murmured under her breath, "seeing" how they were confined only confirmed Jet's threats.

Mom was screeching loudly, and Appa was fighting the thick chains that bound him around the all six of his legs.

They were like the chains from Lake Laogai.

Jet stood in the shadows, making sure that she didn't try anything, he had positioned some men around the two creatures, poised to attack at his command if she did try anything.

"If you hurt them…" She threatened, making Jet only chuckle.

He played the bad guy roll well.

"On the contrary. It is not I who would be hurting them. If you try anything, I can assure you that the Avatar's beloved pets will be slaughtered without another thought. So technically it will be you hurting them." She turned around and glared at him with her eerily sightless eyes. As tough, and as rebellious as Toph was, she wouldn't risk Appa and Momo getting hurt. They meant too much to Twinkle Toes. She couldn't imagine what he'd do to her if it was her fault that they had been killed.

"It is up to you." He said, leaning casually against the wall as she pondered her options over in her mind.

Her shoulders sagged, and Jet knew that he had got her. "What do you want me to do?"

…………………………………………………….

Aang woke up later on, his head hurt like he had been smashed into a boulder.

Glancing around, he was dismayed so see that he was in another confinement of some sort.

He recognized the interior around him; he knew that it must have been a fire nation ship that he was on. Leaning against the wall, he thought that he heard someone on the other side.

Why was he in only an ordinary cell? Usually they kept him in some specially designed cell, that was supposedly was impossible to escape from. And yet, he always somehow got away. Maybe that was why?

He let a sigh escape his lips as he leaned against the cold metal of the cell.

"Aang? Is that you?" He heard an all too familiar voice ask.

"Katara?" He breathed, pressing his ear against the wall.

"It is you!" he heard her exclaim, although it was hard to hear what she was saying, her voice was muffled because of the thick wall between them.

"Are you okay Katara? Are the others with you?"

"Yeah, Sokka and Iroh are here." Came Katara's muffled reply. There was the faintest "mew" that Aang could here through the wall.

"Oh, and Koi too."

"Who's Koi?" He asked.

Katara sighed. "I'll explain later!" She said shortly.

Aang shifted ever so slightly, putting his ear against the wall in a better position.

"What about Toph?" He asked, but was only met with silence.

"She's not here Aang." It was Sokka's voice this time.

Aang sat up, trying to get at least a little more comfortable.

What would they need a very powerful earthbender for anyway? Whoever it was that took her, was obviously very persistent.

"Avatar, I suggest that we find a way out of here first, and then find your friend." It was Iroh this time.

Aang glanced around. This kind of cell would be easy to get out of. How foolish of whomever had imprisoned them!

Taking deep breaths, he focused on making the air that he bended, sharp. Almost like what he and Katara had done in the drill. Except he was using air instead of water.

The metal bars would be easy enough to break; they were only standard, nothing special about them.

Within about four minutes and fifty-two seconds, the metal bars that he had cut clean through, were now neatly placed back on the ground of the ship.

Peering into the long corridor, he noticed that there were no guards. It was suspicious. He glanced this way and that, as if he was checking if there were any cars coming as most of us would.

The hallway was absolutely deserted. cue tumble weed

Aang Airbended himself to the cell beside his own. As he did this, Iroh was getting ready to melt the bars.

He gripped them in his calloused hands firmly, concentrating on heating the bars up. In a few seconds, they dropped to the floor, the iron that used to be a full gray, was no a white-hot color.

The three quickly hurried out, nearly running into the Avatar as they did so.

Iroh glanced around.

Where were the guards? He wondered, but didn't say anything as the Avatar lead them out from the long corridor.

…………………………………………………

"Is it true?" Zuko asked, his knees felt like they would give out at any second.

"I'm afraid it is Zuko." Azula said with false sympathy.

Zuko held his head in his hands. Uncle's dead? Was all that he could think about. He glanced over at Azula, who had no remorse in her cold amber eyes.

"It was confirmed when the Dai Li found his body among the rubble." She added, whether it was for her own pleasure or not, Zuko couldn't tell. She obviously enjoyed seeing him like this, which made him even angrier.

Right now he couldn't be seen as weak. Not now.

He stood up, forcing his body to stop shaking from the shock of Uncle's death. He didn't see the slow smile that spread across the Fire Princess's face.

……………………………………..

Sorry it took me so long to update! I have become really lazy…. Anyway, sorry about this chapter, I've been having a series of writer's block. Heheh, anyway, thank you all so much for your reviews! I appreciate them more then you know!

Thanks again!


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry it took me so long, I'm so bad at continuing to update!!! Hopefully you'll all forgive me for my sins.

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of its Characters.

…………………

Chapter Fourteen

"You've been very cooperative earthbender." Jet remarked coldly, playing his bad guy role all too well. He was very careful with what he said around her, knowing that she was a human lie detector after all.

Toph grit her teeth as she sat there in the metal chair.

She didn't think that Jet knew she could bend metal. If he didn't, then she could use this t her advantage. She could finally escape, instead of being held prisoner on this cursed ship.

Her shoulder was being looked after; they couldn't have her injured with what she'd be doing after all.

"I didn't have a choice now did I?" Toph said bitterly, reminding herself why she was tolerating Jet.

"No, I suppose you didn't." Came another voice that took Toph a minute to recognize.

"You're… That girl who always travels with Azula." Toph said surprised. Mai shrugged. "I'm flattered you remember me." She remarked in her usual monotone way. Toph ran her hands through her tangled black hair, sighing. She had lost hr favorite headband somehow, when she was kidnapped.

Her hair was loose, falling down to her waist in a curtain of onyx.

"I'm sick of all this secrecy. Tell me what you need me to do and get it over with." Toph demanded. Mai smirked, playing with one of her knives beneath her robes.

"I hear you're good young earthbender. Jet tells me that you can detect lies?" Mai asked.

Toph snorted. "What use is that to you?"

Jet leaned against the wall, wondering where Mai was going with this conversation.

"A lot actually. In fact, I want you to see that the things I am choosing to tell you are not lies." Mai spoke confidently.

Toph frowned, unsure of what to make of this. Deciding she had nothing better to do after all, Toph shrugged.

"Have it your way. But if you do lie, I'll know." Toph said, planting her feet firmly on the cold metal floor.

Mai nodded. "Of course." She commented dryly, taking no notice of Toph's threatening tone.

"In about five minutes your friends will come storming into here, and demand to know where you are…

………………

Katara peered cautiously around the corner of the ship. Still no guards…

This troubled her. Something was obviously amiss here. At any moment, with the gang's luck, something would go horribly, utterly wrong.

"The cost is clear." She whispered over her shoulder.

Iroh looked very doubtful, he too must have been thinking hard about what was going on. Katara stepped silently over the metal, her feet hardly making a sound. Aang was very slightly behind her, his staff ready and raised just in case.

The gang had certainly seen better days. Everyone looked worn out and tired.

Katara's own bending abilities were far beyond exhausted. She wondered how her body could do it, but it was in her heart to keep pushing herself harder.

They needed to get out alive. Sozin's comet was coming soon, and Aang had yet to even aster earth bending, let alone fire bending!

The whole weight of the world was resting on Aang. A mere twelve-year-old boy who was born with great expectations. It just didn't seem fair to Katara that someone had the whole word resting on their shoulders. A slow smile spread to her face.

That's what family was for. And they were Aang's family now.

"Halt! You there!" Came a gruff voice.

"Uh oh." Sokka gulped, spotting three guards racing down the hallway towards the group, fire blazing in their hands.

"Run!" Aang shouted, blowing the guards back with his air bending.

No one needed to be told twice. Dashing down the long metal hallways, Katara was surprised at the old man's speed. He was moving faster then Sokka!

Two more guards appeared out of the left hallway. Blocking their way and forcing them to turn into a dead end.

"Cornered," one of them sneered. "Just like that little earth bending girl." Katara's eyes widened.

"What did you do with Toph?" Aang snarled, brandishing his staff.

The guard who had spoken smirked. "Why don't you see for yourself Avatar?" he gestured to a door off to the right.

Katara narrowed her eyes, clutching Koi tightly to her chest. She very well knew that this could be a trap. Sokka glared at the guards one last time, turning to Aang.

"Do we really have a choice?" He asked.

"Not really." Iroh commented, pointing out the obvious.

Sokka slapped his forehead, letting his hand slide down his face.

Katara glanced down as she felt Koi move in her arms, sniffing the headband that she wore wrapped around her wrist.

Jumping down from Katara's arms, Koi pawed at the heavy metal door that the guard had indicated. Katara frowned as Koi mewed loudly. Going against her better judgment, Katara opened the door.

She quickly shut it. "Mai's in there." She hissed.

"Okay," Aang said, just noticing that all the guards had somehow slipped away unnoticed.

"On three." Sokka said, holding up three fingers.

"One." He put one finger down.

"Two." He put another finger down.

"Three!" The three teenagers plus one senior and one kitten burst into the room. All shouting various things like: "give us our friend back!" or "where's Toph?" or "Give her back!" and "mew!" All said of course in different times, making it a jumbled mess of words. (and one mew.)

"Hello Avatar." Mai greeted in a slightly warmer way then her usual monotone voice.

"What the? Toph?" Katara asked cautiously, spotting a head of long dark hair.

Toph turned around; a small smile was spreading over her lips. It looked more forced if anything. "Hi Katar—Ouch!" Toph yelped, wincing considerably. Mai turned her back to the Avatar and his friends, walking calmly up to Toph.

"Okay… So am I the only one who's not confused here?" Sokka piped up, waving his boomerang around in the air.

"All will be explained later. But for now… Katara was it? Would you help your friend out?" Mai asked, pulling Katara over to where Toph sat. Toph was in nothing but her underclothes, her top mostly having been seared off. There was a large, nasty looking charred burn covering her right shoulder. Her left shoulder was still swollen, but looked like it had healed a bit. Katara set to work on Toph's burn.

"After I'm done, you've got a lot of explaining to do Toph." Katara growled.

……………

"Wow… It's weird now that you're good." Aang admitted, scratching the back of his head. Mai shrugged, saying nothing. Sokka was too busy eating to really ask any questions during the meal. He had a whole lot of eating to catch up on.

Katara sipped her drink, a pleasant tasting kind of juice that was famous in the fire nation. Even Katara had to admit. It was very weird to be having a very nice meal, sitting across from one of their old enemies.

Toph sat silently, listening to the conversation with a dull interest as her friends asked too many questions. Mai said that she needed her to dig tunnels. But with her injured shoulder, and the burn was more serious then she had thought, it was going to be a lot harder.

She overheard Sokka talking to Aang, telling him about how he couldn't wait to see Suki again. And how great it was to rescue his practically adopted other little sister from danger.

He may as well have broken her heart.

Saying nothing as she stood up slowly, her chair clattered to the ground as she got up and simply left without saying anything.

"Toph" Katara broke off in id conversation, but the earthbender had already disappeared through the door.

Toph Bei Fong. The Greatest Earthbender in the world, and the only metal bender did not cry. It was seen as a form of weakness in her eyes.

Only is no one saw those tears welling in her eyes and spilling over onto her cheeks as she sat in a huddled corner in her room, it didn't count… Right?

……………..

Well, there you are. My writer's block has lifted a bit, and I promise I will try to update before I leave for Ottawa. Between Hockey, Volley Ball, Fiddle Practice, Student Council, Coaching Basket Ball, Work, School, and homework… Ugh, life is exhausting! Read and Review please!


	15. Chapter 15

Sorry, it took me a while to find the time to update, which is very annoying that I barely have any time for this anymore!

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of its Characters.

…………………..

Chapter Fifteen

Aang rolled around restlessly in his sleep.

These fire nation ships were extremely warm for some odd reason, making his sleep uncomfortable.

The thin blankets lay discarded on the ground next to the bed, unused. Aang sighed, wondering what time it was. He hadn't slept well all night, knowing that he was now sleeping on a ship with one of his old enemies was kind of unusual.

It was god to know that Toph was safe. And now their little oddball family had been reunited. It was a nice to feeling to know that for once, their little family was safe, even if it was only for a very brief time period.

_We're going to the fire nation…_

This thought repeated over and over in his head.

It had been over a hundred years since he was last here. He used to have friends, friends who were fire benders.

He had been looking forwards to seeing the fire nation again, but now with the war going on, he wondered how much had changed since then. The thought wouldn't leave him alone, along with so many that burdened his mind.

Sokka snored nearby, his loud, unbearably loud, snores echoed through the metal room.

Aang pulled a pillow over his head, hoping to block out that terribly annoying noise.

Normally Sokka's snoring didn't bother him at all, but not when they were in a metal room, and the sound was being thrown back at him because of the metal walls. They were always sleeping under the stars. Aang missed that too.

He sat up. That gave him an idea. Grabbing his pillow and blanket, Aang carefully tiptoed out of the room, making sure not to wake Sokka.

The hallway was empty, as predicted. It was rather eerie as Aang made his way down the shady hallway, alone.

The stairs were not that hard to find as he made his way along the lengthy corridor and up the stairs to the deck.

Aang was instantly soothed when a light breeze played over his body, coming from the east.

The lights were on overhead, probably where the Captain was still steering the boat.

The inky night's sky was filled with stars, all attempting to outshine one another. The moon was only a mere crescent in the sky, casting off only a very faint light.

It was nice and quiet out here, the sounds of the waves lapping against the boat was almost like a lullaby as Aang closed his eyes.

"Oof!"

There was something that landed hard on his chest, knocking the air right out of his lungs. His eyes snapped open as he inhaled a soft, lavender scent.

"Toph?" He asked, squinting to see her face in the dark.

"Twinkle toes, if you're going to lay down in the middle of the deck, at least put up a sign." Toph snapped irritably, hauling herself up.

"But Toph you can't…" Aang trailed off, not knowing how to finish without insulting her.

"Can't what? See? You don't think I know that twinkle toes?" Toph remarked sarcastically.

"Is… is something the matter?" Aang asked cautiously, being careful where he tread now. He was never that good at comforting girls or anyone for that matter.

"No. Nothing's the matter. Everything's just fine and dandy." She muttered, brushing past him as she stalked off.

Frowning after her, Aang lay back down and tried once again to drift off to sleep.

…………..

Katara slowly got out of bed, making sure not to disturb the sleeping Koi as she did so.

She never quite got used to seeing the fire nation emblem on almost every wall. To her, it was something that she was never going to be accustomed to.

_Why does the fire nation have to be so hot?_ She thought irritably as she pulled on her blue water nation dress. The air was humid, clinging to her body as she moved around the room.

Running a comb through her thick dark hair, Katara stared into the mirror. Those beautiful blue eyes of hers, the ones that every water tribe person had, was obviously a dead giveaway.

At least her hair was dark. If she found a way to hide her eyes, then she wouldn't have to worry about anything when it came to her hair.

She fixed her eyes on her dress now. It had served her very well. It was good for bending, and hadn't restricted her movements at all. But now was not the time to continue wearing it. Now was the time to give it up, if only for a while.

As if timed perfectly, there was a knock at the door of her room.

"Come in." Katara called absentmindedly.

The door opened, and in stepped Mai. She was wearing her usual attire. Dark robes, and her black hair perfectly arranged. She was carrying a few different types of fire nation clothing, all in that deep, blood red color.

"I brought you a few different types of clothing to try on. You can keep which ever one you like." Mai explained briefly before stepping back out of the room.

Once Katara was sure that Mai was gone, she turned to look at the several pieces of fire nation clothing.

_Screams, cries for help echoed all around her. She couldn't tell which way was left or right anymore. _

_There was blood, blood everywhere. She could smell it; it was all she could see. The air was so thick with it that she could taste it on her lips. _

_She couldn't tell the soldier's clothes apart from the blood, it all looked the same to her. _

Katara sat down on the bed slowly, fighting off that familiar feeling of nausea whenever she thought about that. The day that the fire nation had invaded their home.

The home that she had thought was safe up until that day. Until her mother was murdered brutally, along with so many others.

Koi mewed softly, as if asking what was wrong.

"Nothing's wrong Koi, don't worry about it." Katara said as she absentmindedly stroked his tiny body. She remembered the first time she had seen this tiny kitten.

He had been all fur and bones. But now his stomach had swollen to the size of a miniature Iroh stomach.

Taking a deep breath, Katara turned her attention back to the clothes that Mai had brought in for her. Choosing one of the simpler ones, she took off her water tribe dress, and dawned the fire nation clothing.

……………………

Iroh sat in the galley, sipping his own home made delicious tea.

If there was anything from the fire nation that he had missed, it had been this special blend of herbs that only the fire nation produced.

"Ah…" He sighed contently as he sat there. After so many years, it was hard to believe that he was actually returning to the place that he had once vowed to never return again when he had been marked as a traitor to the nation.

And what was even more surprising was that he was returning to help the Avatar. He would have never thought he would be doing this 30 years ago, when he had still been a general for the fire nation.

The metal door opened slowly on his right, Iroh turned around, and was surprised to see the little blind girl again.

She said nothing as she came and sat down next to him, and he poured her a cup of tea.

"Thanks," she mumbled, taking a drink of the tea.

"What brings you here young traveler?" Iroh asked a moment later.

"The name's Toph." She grunted, setting her cup down.

"Pleased to meet you Toph, I'm Iroh." Iroh said pleasantly.

Iroh had never been one to miss many details. As an ex general, he had noticed many things. He had had to when he was out on the battle field after all. One thing he did notice was that this young girl looked rather tired. As if she hadn't slept well at all.

Her shoulder was bandaged, he noticed out of the corner of his eyes, and he could just see some wrapping peeking out from under her clothes.

She was silent for a while longer; Iroh suspected that Toph was pondering what she was going to say.

"The first time we met, you gave me some good advice…" Toph said slowly, being cautious with her words.

Iroh waited for her to continue.

"And I think I need some of that again." She finished.

Iroh sipped his tea thoughtfully, glancing over at her as he did so.

"What seems to be the trouble Ms. Toph?" He asked as he poured her more tea.

She frowned, staring intently at the liquid in her cup even if she could not see it. He could see those foam green eyes reflected in the tea. It was a shame she hid them behind that dark curtain of hair.

"I don't really know." She admitted, setting her cup down.

"I just need advice."

Iroh mulled this over carefully, choosing his next words carefully.

"Ms. Toph, I know that any problem can be hard to overcome by yourself, and I am happy that you would choose me to come and talk to. But until you know what your own problem is, I cannot help you. This problem may be something that you need to overcome by yourself, or get your friends to help you with it." Iroh explained. He heard her sigh.

"Somehow I knew you were going to say that. You give good advice old man." She said sliding off the seat and onto the floor. Toph drained the last of her tea.

"And you make even better tea." She called over her shoulder before closing the door behind her.

………………………

There you have it. I really had a hard time thinking up some advice for Iroh to say, I know it's kind of bad, but I tried my best!

Anyway thanks for all the reviews. Oh and by the way, I'll be editing some of the earlier chapters, so it could take a while for a new chapter to come out.

Thanks again!


	16. Chapter 16

I know what you're all going to say, and I already know it! Azuresky13 is the worst updater ever! Anyway, I'll just apologize for that!

Things have been insanely busy lately, I'm going to an international basket ball tournament in Hawaii, so I've really had to step up training and maintain my good marks. On top of all that, I've got student council duties, other sports, fiddle lessons, math tutoring… It makes my head spin!

Here's the long awaited chapter sixteen!

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of its characters.

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"It's too _hot_." Sokka whined as the three of them stood at the edge of the ship. Katara sighed.

"You're just going to have to bear it like the rest of us Sokka, this heats not going to go away just because it makes you uncomfortable."

Aang leaned over the railing watching the squid fish latch onto the boat. They had stopped at port for a while; Mai had disappeared not too, long ago, leaving them alone on the ship to watch after it. Not that anyone would steal a fire nation noble's ship anyway.

The sun blared down on them today; the heat was so unbearably hot.

Even Koi, who always had chosen to follow Katara around, was choosing to remain under deck where it was nice and cool—just the way he liked it.

One of the squid fish fell back into the water with a splash as it had attempted to shimmy its way up the side of the boat. Aang smiled half heartedly. It worried him the way Toph was acting, it just wasn't like her. It just wasn't _Toph_.   
Katara was careful to turn around as some fire nation soldiers walked by. She and Sokka were to make sure that their blue eyes were not seen by anyone. It was a dead giveaway that they were water tribe.

Aang had a headband wrapped around his forehead, his untidy dark hair covering the rest of his arrow. It was days like this that he wished he didn't have any hair—then again he might have gotten sunburn on his head again; and that certainly wasn't fun. He glanced over the edge of the ship again, but the squid fish had lost interest in trying to climb onto the boat, and simply attempted to scale another.

The fire nation hadn't really changed much after all these years, still the same old style of houses, the same market place, the same… everything. Well… _almost_ everything. The people no longer seemed as nice and as outgoing as they once had been. He searched for the right word that described the fire nation people now.

_Hostile_, he decided, that was the right word.

He was raised out of his thoughts as Katara tapped his shoulder.

"Sokka and I are going bellow deck; it's just too hot for us. We'll be down there if you need us." Katara explained, wiping the sweat from her brow. Aang watched her leave, admiring how the red fire nation dress looked on her. That deep, blood red color. He blinked, blushing as he thought of how she would look in an air nomad kimono for women.

_Much better then fire nation_, he decided once again, satisfied he turned back to looking at the squid fish. Anything was better then being stuck on this ship, it was just too boring! Appa and Momo were down under the deck but he had already visited today. If he could just possibly leave the boat… only for a little while, he was sure that Katara wouldn't mind. Besides, Mai had said she wouldn't be back until the sun was setting. Who would know that he was gone?

Grinning, Aang hurried back down below deck to grab a hat. He made sure that no one heard him, he was a terrible liar and even if it wasn't Toph who caught him, they'd be able to tell that he was lying anyway.

He quickly grabbed the hat, and ducked back into the hall. He doubled back as he saw something that caught his eyes. One of the portholes was open. It was just big enough for him to squeeze through and it would be a lot better then sneaking out above deck, where he risked someone seeing him sneak out.

Grinning, Aang hoisted himself up to the window and swung his legs through.

"Twinkle toes, what are you doing?" He froze in fear, recognizing Toph's voice instantly.

"Umm… nothing!" He practically squeaked, climbing back down from the window.

She rolled her sightless eyes. "Even if I couldn't feel your heartbeat, I wouldn't need to in order to tell if you were lying or not." Toph said, hands on her hips in an almost Katara-like fashion.

"If you're going somewhere twinkle toes, then take me with you, I'm bored on this floating chunk of metal." She drawled.

Aang grinned once again, knowing that he could always count on Toph to break some rules every once in a while.

He helped hoist her up through the window once he was out, landing on the dry sand beneath them.

"Katara's room in up ahead, duck so that she won't see us." Aang whispered, taking the lead. The ducked as they came to the window, making sure that they weren't seen. _It's going to be a fun day after all_, Aang thought, grinning to himself.

……………………..

_Meanwhile_….

"Hey Sokka, have you seen Koi?" Katara asked worriedly, having looked all over her room for that kitten who would normally always followed her around.

"Who's that?" Sokka yawned, having been woken up in the middle of a nap.

Katara sighed, too hot and sweaty to deal with this case of the missing kitten. Placing her hands on her hips, she cocked one eyebrow up.

"You know that kitten that's always following me around," She said in a know it all voice. Sokka frowned. "Oh, _that_ ball of fur." He sighed, in his opinion; they had too many balls of fur around lately.

"Nope, haven't seen him Katara." Sokka mumbled, getting back into his comfy bed.

"He's probably running around, doing what balls of fur do." He added. Katara sighed, thinking that for once her brother may be right.

………………….

"Mew?" Toph spun around, nearly hitting heads with Aang as she did this, who was alarmed at her sudden action.

"Aang, it's Katara's cat, he's following us." She grumbled, not too fond of this little trouble maker, who always had a tendency to cling onto her head.

Aang glanced around the ship, not wanting to alert anyone that they were here. "I guess we'll just have to bring him with us." He concluded. Toph glared at him with her sightless eyes as the kitten seemed to look very smug.

"He's fine," Aang said picking him up. A moment later, startled, Aang dropped the kitten. Koi licked his paws and refused to move from his spot as Aang inspected the scratches on his arms from Koi.

Koi rubbed against Toph's leg, who had an urge to kick the kitten, but managed to hold herself back. "That's the first time an animal never liked me." Aang said slowly, as if astonished that an animal had not liked him.

"I guess you'll just have to carry him Toph." Aang said, grinning at his friend's expression.

"Absolutely not." Toph shook her head. But it was too late; Koi had already jumped up onto her shoulders, and was now clinging to her abundance of thick, dark hair. Grumbling something about how Aang and the kitten had planned this whole thing just to annoy her, Toph stalked past Aang.

It was indeed a very hot day, making Toph's mood a little touchy.

"What should we do with our few precious hours of freedom?" Aang asked, swinging his arms around. She shrugged; just enjoying the feeling of stretching her legs was enough for her. Aang's brow furrowed, wondering what he and his friend could do that would be fun.

"We could always go feed the turtle ducks," Aang suggested, noticing a stand that was selling loaves of bread. Koi mewed from the top of Toph's head in agreement.

Leaving Toph near the fountain, he went and stood in line for the stall.

"One loaf of bread please," said the ever polite Aang as he handed the vendor some money. Heading on his way back to Toph, he was discouraged to see Jet and Mai heading straight towards where Toph was standing. If they were found out, they would have to go back to the ship, and then they'd get some boring long lecture about acting properly. Aang certainly didn't want to return to the ship looking forwards to that.

Thinking quickly, it seemed that Jet and Mai didn't see Toph just yet—luckily. Paying the vendor quickly, he ran as fast as he could back without drawing attention to himself, and without flying.

"Twinkle toes what're you do—ah!" Aang grabbed her wrist and practically dragged her into the nearest alleyway, being careful not to be seen by Jet or Mai. He had a hand over Toph's mouth, making sure that she hadn't uttered any words or shouted at him for taking her by surprise like that. Peering cautiously around the corner, he saw Mai and Jet heading out into one of the other streets. Breathing a sigh of relief, he relaxed.

"Oof!" Toph elbowed him in the stomach, reminding him that she was still there; and that he still had his hand over her mouth.

"Oops, sorry." He said sheepishly, taking his hand away from her mouth. She glared at him silently; even Koi was agitated at his act.

"Mai and Jet almost saw us, so I did the first thing I could think of." He explained quickly, not wanting to get another elbow to the stomach. He knew that she had trouble seeing in big crowds and that it took her longer to recognize people's vibrations then it normally would.

Cocking an eyebrow up, Toph shrugged. "You could have at least given me a little bit of warning twinkle toes," she said gruffly.

It was Aang's turn to shrug. "I tried." He said.

Toph frowned, wondering why he seemed so different today. Maybe it was the fact that she had been moping lately, and that didn't do anyone good. In fact it was nice with just her and twinkle toes for a change, he was doing a good job of keeping her preoccupied with silly little things instead of her brooding over her issues.

"Toph, they're gone, let's go." Aang said, leading her back out into the central plaza area. They made it to the turtle duck pond within a few minutes.

Aang glanced around, suddenly feeling a little self conscious that only couples and little kids with their families were here. Without saying anything, Toph took the bread and tore it down the middle, giving half to Aang.

Her eerie eyes were hidden from him as her bangs fell over her eyes. She tossed small pieces of bread into the pond absentmindedly, hardly thinking at all.

"Well, well, well… If it isn't the Avatar and his little girlfriend." Aang froze, fear struck his body. He still had the scars from the last time that they had seen each other.

Azula, accompanied by Ty Lee stood there, inspecting her nails as Ty Lee did a handstand. Even Toph had to admit that Azula had style when it came to this type of thing. Toph snorted, automatically having gone sank into her stance. Azula's eyes flashed.

"Oh Tsk, tsk. Already jumping to conclusions and the fun hasn't even started yet!" She said in a mockingly cold voice.

"What do you want?" Aang asked, also readying himself for a battle. Azula sighed.

"You really are no fun Avatar, always straight to business." Ty Lee giggled, waving at Aang.

"I'll take Azula." Aang muttered out of the corner of his mouth, so that it was only Toph who heard him.

Toph snorted in response, shaking her head. "You're still too weak, you take the peppy one." Aang frowned, opening his mouth to argue, but closed it again as he realized that she was right. He saw her place Koi down on the ground, before she regained her stance.

"You've escaped my grasp once Avatar, I won't let it happen again!" Azula sent a wall of fire at Aang, who reacted quickly, snuffing out the flames with a strong wind. Toph seized him by the collar, yanking him back just as a huge torrent of flames burst past where he had just been standing.

"Did you listen to me? I said you take the peppy one." She hissed, shoving him out of her way as she concentrated on the earth beneath Azula's feet.

Ty Lee cart wheeled over to where Aang was, the two circled each other.

"You look cute with hair!" She giggled as she made a jab at his side, causing him to leap awkwardly to the side to avoid being paralyzed by her. They constantly exchanged blows; finally Ty Lee landed a jab to his right arm, rendering it immobile. He was a tad too slow after that, and soon it wasn't hard for her to get his other arm. Taking a deep breath, Aang released a huge breath of air from his mouth, sending Ty Lee flying. For that brief second that he had to look over his shoulder, he quickly analyzed how Toph was fairing against Azula.

It was hard to tell who had the upper hand. Azula was quick, almost inhumanly quick. But Toph managed to always keep up with her with her somehow. They were blurs as they darted around, Toph using her earth bending to her advantage. Ty Lee aimed a swift kick to his ribs; he just managed to propel himself out of the way so that he wasn't hit. He kept dodging her blows, but he was tiring quickly, his weakened body couldn't keep up with her perfectly fit, never seemed to tire body. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Toph and Azula stop, he couldn't read Azula's lips, but he could tell that she was taunting Toph.

They both summoned their element, this time Azula summoned lighting. There was an eruption of earth and lightning, Toph went flying backwards into the pond.

Aang saw his chance and blew Ty Lee back, knocking into Azula and the two both toppled to the ground.

Toph was thrashing in the waters, fighting to keep her head above the water.

"You're turn Avatar." Azula hissed, standing back up. Lightning crackled in her hands, Aang prepared himself to block it, just as a ball of fur went flying towards Azula and latched itself onto Azula's head. She gave a scream of frustration, as suddenly the lightning went askew, heading straight for the pond.

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For those who do not know, water is a conductor of electricity! I kind of left you at a cliffhanger, I'm just that mean. Anyway thanks for all the reviews, and sorry about the overly long wait!


	17. Chapter 17

I know, I know. I'm absolutely the most horrible person ever. You guys dished it to me hard! Oh well, I deserved it anyway. Same reasons as always, I just recently moved to the capital for a month for training for basket ball—which has been consuming much of my time in training for the Arctic Winter Games!

Anyway…

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of its characters.

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_"You're turn Avatar," Azula hissed, standing back up._

_Lightning crackled in her hands, Aang prepared himself to block it just as a ball of fur went flying and latched on Azula's head. She gave a scream of frustration as suddenly the lightning went askew, heading straight for the pond. _

…………………………………

Aang expected to hear Toph's scream any second now, perhaps maybe her final noise before she suffered a truly painful death. Having only split second to think, Aang made his decision.

Taking a deep breath, he released the coldest air he could muster. The pond seemed to freeze just a split second before the lightning hit. Time almost seemed to freeze. _ If only it would, _ Aang thought as he prayed that Toph would be okay for now. At the same time as he was blowing air on the pond he used his arm to send out a gale of wind at Azula, taking her completely by surprise.

The lightning struck the ice, leaving a huge hole of melted ice.

_She's okay… For now… _Aang dodged a huge burst of flames from Azula as she recovered quickly.

Using bolder tactics, Aang ripped a piece of the earth off and hurled it at Azula. Nimbly she jumped over the piece, rolling but at the same time she released another bolt of lightning. Aang dove to the left to avoid being hit, sneaking a look back at the pond.

He needed to finish off Azula—quickly.

They exchanged torrents of flame, earth and air as the battle continued, Aang was breathing hard. All he wanted to do right now was lay down admit defeat, and possibly sleep. His battered body couldn't take much more of all this.

"Tired, Avatar? Or are you sad because _you_ killed your little girlfriend?" She taunted, dodging one of his boulders. Anger welled up in Aang's chest, he wanted to burn Azula alive. Toph could be dead because of her. But he had helped it along too. If he had just left her behind…

Shaking his head, Aang stared at Azula with determination flaring, he attacked with renewed strength. Azula took a step back as she was forced to draw back a bit from the Avatar's renewed ability.

Somehow, at the same time Aang managed to bend two elements at once. It was something he had never done before, and for Azula—I threw her off guard. The boulder she managed to dodge, only to be met by a gale force wind.

The moment Aang knew that Azula was down for the count, he rushed to the ice pond. Before he could do anything however the ice suddenly cracked. Cracks ran along the entire surface of the pond, he jumped back from the pond in surprise as suddenly and without warning—a huge brown ball burst from the middle of the pond.

Mud splattered everywhere and anywhere, including on Aang. A few yards away from him was a very muddy—but very much alive Toph.

He didn't even bother to airbend the mud off of him as he practically tackled her in a hug. Koi mewed and sat on top of Toph's head, even he was glad to see her okay.

Toph was taken by surprise, nearly being run over by twinkle toes was new to her, but… in an odd way—she didn't mind it.

………………………….

"Twinkle Toes, be quiet! You don't want to have Sugar Queen swoop down on us." Toph hissed as Aang tripped on something in the hallway yet again. The sun was just beginning to set as they returned to the fire nation ship—weary and looking a little worse for ware—but alive none the less.

Both literally froze in surprise as suddenly their feet were covered in ice.

"Uh oh." Aang gulped as he noticed both Katara and Sokka standing by the stairs. "Too late Toph." He added, shaking his head.

It wasn't Sokka that Aang was really afraid of being scolded by, not to mention it was really hard to take Sokka seriously when he was wearing that ridiculous beard of his. No, surely it was not Sokka. For it was Katara that you should really be afraid of.

Her beautiful crystal blue eyes normally so caring and full of compassion were stern and narrowed on her two intended targets. And of course, the oh so common arms crossed over chest look as well.

"Where were you two?" Each word felt like a lash to Aang's back. It took all his might not to cringe.

"Uh…" Was all he managed to come up with.

"Re-lax Sugar Queen, we were just out for a stroll is all." The ever level headed Toph replied calmly.

"Out for a stroll? Out for a STROLL?" Katara demanded.

"Umm… you already said that…" Aang pointed out before those stern eyes turned to him, he promptly shut his mouth.

"So you're telling me that you were simply out for a stroll. Why do I not believe that?" Katara muttered.

"You're covered in mud, Aang, your wound opened back up again and Toph—you don't look so good either." Aang bowed his head. He really hadn't thought this one through. Him, with his only partially healed wounds, and Toph with her recently healed dislocated shoulder. It was a wonder that they had even survived!

"Well what if we fell in a mud puddle? They're common you know," Toph said in a matter of fact voice.

Katara rolled her eyes. "Were in the fire nation." She reminded them, her arms still crossed over her chest.

"I doubt there are any mud puddles just laying around waiting for trouble makers—she glared pointedly at Toph.

"So what Sugar Queen? What if we were out having just a little fun for once?" Toph demanded, sizing herself up to her full height, which was probably no more then 5 foot four or so. She barely reached Katara's chin.

"The point is, Aang or you could've gotten seriously hurt! What if you ran into Azula without me and Sokka there? What would happen then?" Katara asked accusingly.

"Uh actually, we did run into… Azula." Aang's voice grew quieter and quieter as he felt Katara's deadly (could possibly burn a hole in your forehead) glare turn to him.

"You. Ran. Into. Azula?" Aang couldn't tell if it was a question or a statement. Katara's teeth we so clenched it was pretty hard to tell.

"That's what he said." Toph was getting pretty annoyed at her feet being frozen for so long. And annoyed more at Aang to the fact that he didn't even bother to unfreeze them both.

Katara's deadly glare turned back to Toph. "You're out of control Toph! Are you going to risk everything that we've worked for up until now for just a little bit of fun? You have to learn that now is not the time! Not when we're dead in the center of the fire nation! You could've got Aang seriously hurt—or worse!" Katara was so upset she was yelling.

Aang frowned, and opened his mouth to say something. "It wasn't Toph's idea Katara, it was mine." He tried to defend Toph to the best of his ability against an angry woman. (Which can really prove difficult at times.)

"Quit trying to defend her Aang, you're just as bad for going along with her little schemes!"

"Schemes? They're hardly schemes Katara, we leave those up to Sokka." Toph snorted.

"Hey!" Sokka interjected, waving his arms around.

Toph rolled her eyes, before she had enough of this. She made a slightly jerking motion to the left and the metal shot up, cracking the ice that had enveloped her feet.

"Where are you going?" Katara demanded, trying to step in front of her, but Toph just bended her to the side with the metal.

"Away from you." Toph said shortly, disappearing around the corner.

Koi mewed from his viewpoint, even he thought that Katara had been too rough on her.

……………………………………

"Stupid Sugar Queen." A rock went flying over the ledge.

"Stupid Sokka." Another rock went flying over the edge.

"Stupid Twinkle Toes." _Crash! _Yet another rock went tumbling over the edge of the ledge.

"Ow!" Toph nearly jumped in surprise as someone cried out.

She quietly crept over the ledge, listening to a spew of curses.

"Who's there?" The voice called, alarmed.

Toph was suddenly met with a torrent of flames as the person attacked her.

The flames licked around her feet and spread up to her arms greedily.

"Ow!" She stumbled back from the pain, she could no longer stand on her feet.

There were running footsteps. Toph's legs felt like they were on fire from the burns that she had received.

_Stupid Aang. _Was the last thing that crossed her mind before she fell into unconsciousness.

…………………………………….

Zuko knew that this was bad.

Very bad.

Like the non thinking moron he was, he had attacked before he had surveyed the situation.

He really didn't know what was worse at the moment. The fact that he had accidentally burned an innocent; (or was she?) or the fact that he had recognized her as one of the Avatar's friends—and he had burned her.

_You've really screwed up this time, _was all he could think as he kneeled down next to her.

Her legs were an angry blistered red, seared from his fire bending. There was a minor burn on her forearm, probably where she had tried to block the flames from reaching her eyes.

_Shoot, shoot, shoot. _

If she was here, this meant that the Avatar and his other friends weren't far off.

_Was it her throwing those boulders down the cliff? _He wondered silently as he carefully picked her up and carried her over to his campfire. She was surprisingly heavy for such a small girl, it took him by surprise when he accidentally touched one of her well muscled arms.

She groaned slightly as he set her down near the campfire and fished out his blankets for her. Those burns looked pretty bad, by the light of the fire he could tell that they were worse then he had thought.

His luck just never improved. He had come to ask if he could be the Avatar's fire bending teacher because he understood that the Avatar needed one. And now look what he had done. He'd burned one of his friends. Just great.

He jogged to the nearby stream of water, soaking a cloth and then applying it to the burns on her legs. With nothing more to do then just that—Zuko ran back and forth for about an hour, renewing the cool water on her legs every once and a while.

The good thing was: the burns would eventually heal—the bad… they might leave a scar.

Subconsciously he brushed his fingertips against his own scar that marred his face permanently. And now he had nearly done the same to her.

Sighing, he got up once more to renew the cloth, but this time he tripped over a large piece of earth that had out of nowhere come out seemingly to just trip him. He glanced back at the Avatar's friend.

She was trying to sit up awkwardly, not moving her legs as she did this, which made it harder for her.

The firelight made her pale, filmy eyes look eerie as she turned to face him, the blankets slipping off her.

Ok, maybe more bad new. _She might kill me for burning her. _Zuko picked himself up off the ground, and walked slowly towards her.

"I recognize you," it was the furthest from what he had expected her to do. He expected to be buried six feet under right now, but no, not yet anyway.

There was still _plenty_ of time for her to do that.

"The Old Man will be happy to see you." _Old man? _He thought incredulously.

"Look," he stumbled over his words foolishly.

"I'm sorry about burning you." He finally managed without too much more stumbling.

She glanced down at her legs slowly, as if she was just remembering what had happened. The minute that stretched on slowly near about killed him with waiting for what she was going to say.

"Just help me up then." She instructed sternly, struggling to get up herself. Zuko practically jumped towards her before she actually did change her mind and decide to kill him.

She had to lean heavily against him, even that was painful for her as they made slow progress. Zuko pulled his hood up as they made their way slowly back towards the harbor side of town.

"What does the ship look like?" Zuko asked, peering around in the dark of the night was not the most fun thing to do in the middle of the night.

"Uh oh." Zuko's heart fell when she said those words. Uh oh could only really mean one thing.

"The ship's gone."

………………………….


	18. Chapter 18

Oh, I seem to have taken a liking to italics by the way, which is a good thing, seeing how I have had suggestions to use them m

Oh, I seem to have taken a liking to italics by the way, which is a good thing, seeing how I have had suggestions to use them more…. Hopefully I won't go overboard!

Oh and I have also been trying to work in a bit of season three as well, even if it is a bit different.

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of its characters.

"_What does the ship look like?" Zuko asked, peering around in the dark of the night was not the most fun thing._

"_Uh oh." Zuko's heart fell when she said those words. Uh oh could only really mean one thing. _

"_The ship's gone." _

No matter how hard she tried to fall asleep that night, Katara just wound up lying in her bed for hours on end.

Did she feel terrible? _Yes._

Should she go and apologize? _Maybe._

Sighing, she rolled over and nearly squished Koi by accident. He gave a grumpy mew at being woken up, stretched and disappeared over the side of the bed. That kitten always had such an odd habit of sleeping right beside her, as much of his body touching hers as possible. Koi was adorable, but he was getting bigger.

_Maybe I'm feeding him too much? _Katara mused. Anything to keep her mind off of how guilty she felt.

She tugged the covers off of her and slid out of bed, her decision made. She knew she wouldn't get any sleep, not without talking to Toph first.

The hallways were quiet as she tiptoed along, trying not to wake anyone. The ship rocked gently with the ocean's waves, it had a nice lulling effect on Katara most times, but not tonight.

She knew exactly where Toph's room was; it was near the upper deck, close to Mai's.

_One. Two. Three. Fourth door down. _Katara knocked on the heavy metal door softly, knowing that the earthbender's sensitive ears could hear anything.

"Toph?" Katara called in a quiet voice after there was no answer. Frowning, Katara opened the door slowly, peering inside. It was far to dark to see anything past a few feet, but she thought she could hear Toph stir in bed.

"Listen Toph," she whispered, closing the door behind her, "I don't mean to be so harsh on you all the time…" Katara was wringing her hands slowly, carefully choosing her next words.

"But you have to understand, I only have the best interest of everyone in mind. I mean, what would have happened if you had gotten hurt? Or Aang? Sokka and I couldn't imagine ever losing you two, you're our family now Toph." Katara sat down on the edge of Toph's bed, smiling as she stated that last part.

There was no answer.

"Toph?" Katara's brows knit themselves into a frown as she pulled back the covers. Feeling around, her eyes widened in horror as she realized that her friend wasn't there.

Katara hastily lit the candles in the room, searching further.

"Toph?" She called again, a little louder this time, more panicked. Toph wasn't here.

_"Where are you going?" Katara demanded._

"_Away from you."_

Katara felt her entire body flood with panic as she slowly digested what had happened.

"_Away from you." _

Clutching her head in her hands, Katara's blue eyes welled with tears.

_Did she run away…because of me?_

"The ship…. Is gone?" Zuko repeated slowly. The Avatar's friend sighed.

"That's what I just said," she muttered impatiently.

"How can you tell? It's too dark to see anything." Zuko was praying that the ship wasn't gone. Maybe she had been mistaken.

"For you, maybe." She retorted, shaking her head.

"How can you see in this pitch black?" Zuko demanded, his temper rising from her constant sarcastic tone.

"I can't." She stated it like it was simplest thing in the world, that he was a moron.

"Then how do you know that the ship's gone?" He asked through clenched teeth.

"I'm blind okay? I can see with my earthbending. Don't ask me to explain it." She muttered shortly, not wanting to talk about it. At least not with him.

Zuko was quiet for a while, contemplating what she had just said. To him it seemed amazing that she would "see" with her earthbending. Of course, he'd never admit that to her.

"Well, I guess we head back to camp." Zuko snapped out of his thoughts.

"What?" He asked, blinking.

"It's your fault I'm like this," she indicated her burns, "anyway, so I guess I have to stay with you for a while." His eyes widened. He knew he would not last a week with the sarcastic earthbender, who was probably thinking up revenge plans on him for burning her.

_Just be nice to the Avatar's friend… _He kept reminding himself as they made their way back to camp.

"Aang, Aang wake up!" Aang could have sworn that he heard Katara's voice, but he figured that it was just one of his dreams back to tempt him.

Someone shook his shoulders. _Guess not. _

Opening his eyes slowly, he sat up only to se a very panicked looking Katara. His head cleared instantly at seeing his friend so distraught.

"Katara, what's the matter?" He asked worriedly.

She was crying, he could see the tears streaming down her cheeks and dripping onto the floor, shimmering like a forbidden jewel that should never be seen.

"T-Toph. I-I think she r-ran away b-because of me!" She sobbed, making it hard to understand what she was saying. "We h-have to find her!" Aang knew that they were in the middle of the ocean right now. Had Toph really run away? He wondered. She had done that before, when she and Katara had always fought, but nowadays their relationship was pretty good.

But Toph had always come back one way or another, and the two had always forgiven each other. Sure, Toph had run away that first time when they had met, but that was because she was new to the group, and they were just all trying to get along.

Toph always had needed to blow off steam after an argument. What if she had left the ship to do just that… and then… His eyes widened. What if Azula had gotten her again?

"I don't think she would have run away just because of an argument again Katara." She seemed to be calming down, which was good.

"I think Azula might have kidnapped her." Katara's blue eyes widened, her mouth hung agape.

"She's going to set up a trap with Toph as the bait…" Katara's mind was reeling. Toph had been captured because of her? It only made her feel all the more horrible then she already did.

"What do we do Aang?" Katara asked, her own mind racing. Aang frowned.

"Let's wake up Sokka and the others. We need their say on this as well." He pulled on his shirt and jumped out of bed. Katara followed him wordlessly out of the room.

"I don't think we do anything." Mai finally spoke as the others argued. At this, all four of them turned to look at her.

"What?!" Aang, Katara and Sokka yelped in perfect unison.

"If Toph really was kidnapped, don't you think that there'd be some kind of note? I mean what if she wasn't kidnapped by Azula? And really we just accidentally left her behind under the assumption that she was on the ship?" Mai's words were met with silence this time, each one of the friends weighing in this possibility.

"We can't know for sure though. For all we know Toph could be in a fire nation prison by now being tortured!" Sokka exclaimed, waving his arms around wildly.

Jet remained silent throughout this, chewing on his piece of grass contentedly. Iroh sat in the corner, he grasped a cup of tea in his hands, staring worriedly into his cup.

"There's one way we could tell." Mai murmured, her brows knit as her thoughts deepened. They all turned to look at her.

"I realize that your friend is blind, but maybe if we sent her a letter, saying to meet us in Sozin's City. Hopefully she has someone with her… whether they kidnapped her or not—they'll come." Sokka was weighing this, stroking that ridiculous beard he had seemed to take a liking to.

"I like it." He proclaimed, nodding his head in agreement. Aang looked rather doubtful, he was frowning. Even Katara looked doubting.

"I'd rather go and search for her myself…" Aang trailed off, that doubtful frown still on his face.

"We're already behind schedule Aang." Sokka pointed out, stroking his beard.

Katara continued to frown, but said nothing against Mai's plans.

"So basically we set a little trap of our own in case it does turn out that Toph has been kidnapped." Jet asked, spitting out his straw.

"Basically." Mai confirmed, standing up again.

"I will send the messenger hawk with a message for Toph to meet at in Sozin's City within a few days. I won't mention who we are in order to maintain confidentiality in the matter." Mai paused briefly, waiting for anyone to object, when no one did she disappeared from the room.

The morning came entirely too soon in Zuko's opinion. All he wanted to do was lay there and never get up as he knew what was in store for him that day.

He glanced around warily, noticing that the earthbender was still in her tent. He wanted to enjoy these few precious moments that he had alone, because he knew that his living hell would begin today.

Suddenly the rock tent flew apart, the pieces flying every way possible. Zuko quickly dodged one of the pieces and lunged to the ground to avoid being hit by them.

Toph stretched her legs as she yawned, noticing with a smirk how Zuko was pressed to the ground.

"Good morning hothead. Still lazing around I see?" She stood over him, smirking down at him.

God how he already hated that smirk that never seemed to leave her lips.

"I wasn't just laying around." He quickly picked himself up off the ground, trying to maintain at least some of his dignity, which would prove harder then he thought.

_Not so far off from Toph and Zuko…._

With a great screech, the gyrfalcon plunged through the air, its sharp talons outstretched towards its prey. Quicker then the messenger hawk could react, the leather ties of its pouch were wrapped around its wings.

As the messenger hawk plummeted to the ground to its death, the gyrfalcon caught the message in its beak. Letting out a triumphant cry as it swerved in the air and descended towards its master.

Holding out his hand expectantly, the gyrfalcon placed the scroll in his master's hands obediently.

Reading the letter, a sneer formed on his lips. They were trying to fool him with this letter were they?

In neat handwriting it was written: _Toph, meet us at Sozin's City in five days, we'll be waiting near the great statue._

He crumpled the letter and threw it away without another thought. Of course he recognized the name. Toph. She was the one who had hit him in his third eye with a pebble. He still had a bone to pick with her, and he planned to get her back. But first was the Avatar. He would claim his prize within five days, oh how revenge was sweet.

"What do you suggest that we do now?" Zuko asked in annoyance as he was just about up to his neck in what he could tolerate from the young earth bender.

"They should realize that they've set sail without me by now." Toph was well aware of how much of an annoyance she was being, but it was his fault she was stuck like this. It was embarrassing to have to be carried around on Zuko's back like a helpless little girl. But her burns prevented her from walking on her badly burned feet.

_Just wait, I'll get you when you least expect it. _Toph grinned in her thoughts, she was bent on getting her revenge sooner or later. Being a great annoyance wasn't even half of it just yet.

"Will they come back?" He asked hopefully, but he knew it would be too good to come true.

"No. Most likely they'll meet us somewhere. What's the closest city from here?" Toph asked, her mind racing with possibilities.

Zuko wracked his mind and brought up a map of the fire nation.

"While I'm still young?" Toph remarked irritably. Zuko clenched his teeth, trying to maintain his temper.

"Sozin City." He said through clenched teeth.

"Let's head there then." Toph decided, bored out of her mind right about now. She was tired of not being able to move around on her own, and she was in a lot of pain already as it was with her burns. He was careful not to touch her burns as best as he could. Toph was impressed that he had even dressed her burns.

She knew who he was. Her friends had told her about the Prince Zuko, who had hunted them for as long as they could remember. And then according to Katara he had betrayed them in Ba Sing Se. Yes, of course she knew who he was. A fire bender who had hurt and hunted her friends like wild animals. Surely he knew that she was one of the Avatar's friends. He wasn't tat dimwitted from what she could tell so far. Any time now he could have easily attacked her and used her as bait for some kind of trap to try and catch Aang. As to why he hadn't just yet was what puzzled her entirely.

Of course, Toph was never one to let her thoughts go unheard, however blunt they may be.

"Hey hothead?" Toph called, shifting slightly on his back.

"I told you to quit calling me that," he grumbled incoherently, but she knew that he was listening.

"Are you still hunting Aang?" Zuko nearly winced, but he somehow managed to remain impassive.

"Uh…" He couldn't find the words to fill his mouth at the moment.

"It's a yes or no question." Toph sighed impatiently.

"No." She knew that he wasn't lying when he said that. His heartbeat remained the same.

"Why aren't you anymore?" Zuko wondered why she was asking all these questions, but didn't say anything. Surprisingly he didn't mind her asking.

"I guess because I finally realized that my destiny was to help the Avatar… Not hunt him." Toph smirked slightly, the smirk that he so often hated.

"I'm glad that you made the right choice." Toph murmured, Zuko was surprised at her comment. It would take them a few days to reach Sozin City, until then they'd have to live with each other.

I know a lot of you are probably thinking: why would Mai send Toph a letter if Toph is blind?

Well under the assumption that Toph has been kidnapped (?) again, then I guess the kidnapper (? Zuko?) would read the letter. Just to clarify that part any way, because I know that I would probably get that question.

Oh, and I'm still trying to learn all these terms used on the website… what does HIATUS mean? (I really don't get these things….) anyway thanks for all the reviews, you guys are too good to me!


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